Dear Niku,
by Maico202
Summary: A Mithran boy finds himself indebted to a Valkyrie named Emelline and her best friend Eri. During his escapades, Niku continues to run into and become more involved with both than either had intended. Meanwhile, a crimson haired boy stalks him... but why?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Einherjar Memories**

*****A Valkyrie's Perspective*****

**Current location:** Unknown

**Point in time:** Sometime in the future

**Title:** Einherjar

_"I swore I would protect you. Not by Odin's will, but by my own.__"_

**_Dear Niku,_**

_**I said that... **_

_**Yet, for me to abide by such things... Someone Like me...**_

_"I didn't want to show my weakness for you. But in reality, I wanted you all to myself..."_

_**Dear Niku,**  
><em>

_**Could it be that I simply didn't want to give you the satisfaction of how you made me feel? Or could it be... that I felt unworthy of your satisfaction?**_

_"You're different... but I like that. Why? Because I'm different too."_

_**Dear Niku,**  
><em>

_**No... that's not what I really meant to say then. I meant to say, "We're entirely alike in the same different way." **_

_"I.. I... love..."_

**_Dear Niku..._**

_**...**_

_**Dearest Niku, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Valkyrie and the Cook**

***Emelline's Perspective***

****Current location: ****Vunkerl Inlet**  
><strong><span>Point in time:<span> ****Darksday - 4:18 P.M.**  
><span>Title:<span>** Valkyrie of Odin

The Valkyrie stood among the trees in the eastern section of Vunkerl Inlet. She was knelt down in front of a small shrine familiar to her, praying. A silky blue waterfall of hair fell to her lower back under a winged headpiece and a pair of pointed ears that were lengthy- though shorter than that of an Elvaan's. She opened her aquamarine eyes as the heavy thuds and brushing of large sabre paws got closer and closer until she could feel their presence around her.

Brushing her hair back and away from the soft pale skin of her exposed shoulders, she stood up and began to count their steps before she would act. Digging the heel of her left thigh boot into the dirt, she prepared for one of them as it pounced. But she stopped abruptly as a new set of feet began treading on the ground near her. Ah, the familiar clinking of footsteps belonging to the campaign knights from the Republic of San d'Oria.

"So much for that," she grumbled, shaking her head as she was interrupted from her regimen. She knew why they were here. The same reason all the other men in these campaign battles had continued to intrude on her and her fellow Valkyries. The men in this world were all the same, she thought.

"Are you alright, m'lady!" A tall, tanned red-haired Elvaan man whom was clad in his royal knight's attire jumped out from the cover of the trees with his small squad of men donning ridiculously courageous faces. "Stand back, we shall handle this!"

They all unsheathed their weapons and aimed them towards the wild black-orange striped sabres that were now bearing their large protruding fangs.

"I wasn't asking for your help," the Valkyrie sighed in irritation as she eased her stance. "You're getting in my way, and on my nerves..."

But it was too late. The knights had already charged in and engaged the beasts. They were quite clumsy and continuously stumbled over each other, but they fought hard in a pathetic attempt to impress the pretty young lady who could only shake her head in disbelief.

They looked silly enough that she could almost hear the sounds of horns and cymbals crashing in the background, sort of like what you'd hear in a circus act of clowns.

Men, she thought once more. They see a woman in the battlefield and rush to her aid without stopping to think that she carries the title of 'Valkyrie' for a reason. Are they not aware of what I'm capable of? Are they not aware that we Valkyries are the ones who have come to aid them?

The last thing she would ever need is to be saved by someone, of that she was certain.

"Guh!" She growled in frustration as she began walking off. "Screw it, I'm out of here."

She sheathed her short lance and threw the shield strap over herself so that she could shift it against her back. "I can't even get a moment to myself without you clowns interrupting!"

"Ha!" The red-haired elvaan man gave a pompously defiant look as he slayed the last beast to the ground. Waving the blood off of his sword, he sheathed it and turned to where the Valkyrie would have been- had she not walked away while they had their hands full. "They shouldn't trouble you no more m'.. la..dy? She's gone! The battle must have frightened her. Good job, knights!"

They all roared triumphantly, sounding like big choo-choo trains that scared any surrounding sabres off.

**Main Tower**

"Are you alright, Emelline?" Eri asked as the Valkyrie made her way back to camp from her daily campaign regimens. Setting a book into her satchel and leaning over to confirm the look of irritation in her friend's aqua blue eyes, she gave a helpless smile. "Judging by the "WOoOH-WOoOH-WOoOH, I heard earlier, I'm going to say those knights bothered you again?"

The Valkyrie known as Emelline couldn't help but snort as her best friend Eri imitated those idiots. "Wouldn't you know it..."

She sighed and threw her hand up in the air. "I had those blasted tigers right where I wanted! Then those bozos came along and decided to act all high and mighty again, thinking I was some damsel in distress. It's been the same with all the other campaign knights since we've arrived, Eri. I'm getting sick of it."

Eri was cleaning off her stave as she listened to her friend, trying not to laugh. "Oh, don't be so hard on them... boys will be boys! They spend all their time fighting out in the wilderness, so the sight of such a beautiful girl- especially a Humaan like you, drives them nuts!"

"Psht," Emelline pursed her lips grumpily, leaning against a tree in front of the main Vunkerl sentry tower. "They should've taken the hint by now, dammit!"

That's right. Eri said Humaan. Humaans, like me, are a rare breed of people with a mixed heritage of both Hume and Elvaan.

Not many of us are left, and there are even fewer still who have become elite enough to carry the name of Valkyrie under Odin's wing. The path of the Valkyrie; of the Lance, can be walked only by those of the Humaan race.

"It can't be helped, I guess!" Eri winked, walking over to her friend and wrapping her arms around her waist jokingly. "You're just too exotic to pass up... baby!"

"Cut it out, Eri!" Emelline pulled her arms away. "Besides, exotic is just another word for freak!"

"Say what you will~" Eri giggled as she closed her satchel and threw its strap around her shoulder. "Anyway, I should be off! I've got an overwhelming amount of crafting to do. Did you want to tag along or are you staying here?" She asked as she prepared herself to cast a teleportation spell.

Emelline pushed herself off of the tree and shook her head. "Nah, that's okay. I think I'm going to go hunt some tigers. I could use the hides and fangs. That, and the stress release! I'll meet you later."

Eri smiled to her friend and nodded, waving her fingers daintily at her before casting her spell. Her voice echoed after her as she disappeared into thin air amid a wisp of sparkling lights. "Do be careful now~"

"Yep, yep," Emelline muttered as she made her way across the small wooden bridge that arched over a stream and led out int othe wilderness of Vunkerl Inlet.

**Inlet**

It hadn't been too long after walking into the deeper parts of the inlet that Emelline began to grow rather impatient. She had not ran into any tigers yet. Normally they were roaming the area in search of any fresh meat, particularly alive... so it wasn't rare at all to have one pouncing at you the second you turned around.

"Bah! Don't tell me those idiots scared all the tigers off with their howling? This area was full of sabres just an hour ago... maybe-" she had started just as she began to hear a faint whistling and rumbling in the air. "Huh?"

The sound got louder and eventually brought forth some sort of crash that came a few yalms away from where Emelline stood. It had caused the trees to sway violently upon landing. "What in Odin's name was that...?"

She could see smoke rising out of the trees in the distance. Whatever had crashed down from the sky wasn't too far away.

"Some sort of aircraft...?" She rose a brow, taking out her short lance and dubiously making her way over towards the site. "I definitely have to check this out."

***Niku's Perspective***

**Title:** Sole Survivor

The whole world seemed shrouded in a cloud of black that swept over Niku's vision. That, along with the image of the world spinning and his head buzzing was more than his mind could bear. It felt worse than when he was actually plummeting down from the sky while inside the half of the airship that had come crashing down.

That's right. Half of an airship. The only thing he could remember before nearly being blown to bits was every other passenger running around in a panic and his big brother's friend Aiden taking him back up to the deck. However, Niku might have gone back for some of their important belongings...

He couldn't tell if this rumbling sound in his ears was the ground shaking under the weight of the impact or if it was just the sound of his throbbing brain. His furry Mithran cat-like ears perked and twitched all over the place as he struggled to sit up straight.

The moment he did, he felt multiple jolts and sharp pains running through his body that caused him to yelp out loud in a cracking pubscent voice. In pain, he curled back up into a fetal position and let his tail coil itself around his waist as he tried desperately to stay conscious. "It hurts...!"

Laying there for a few minutes and riding out the bigger wave of pain, he began to wonder which part of his body was broken and which wasn't. However, to his utter surprise, there didn't appear to be any fractures of any kind. His body was just aching and throbbing like crazy. The main source of his pain was a small section of wood protruding out his lower side- just under his rib. Even so, to have survived that crash alone much less with his bones intact must have been some sort of miracle.

"I... I have to remove it," he decided reluctantly. It wouldn't make it any better if he just left it in there.

Bracing himself to do so, he brought the collar of his tunic into his mouth and delicately wrapped his fingers around the end of the wooden piece. Bracing himself, he bit down on the cloth and pulled as hard as his strength would let him.

The result was a scream that would otherwise lure predators towards the distressed prey. And that's exactly what it did.

By the time Niku had crawled out of the airship and salvaged what he could, he was met face to face with the hungry, menacing eyes of multiple sabres.

"Oh, no," he shuddered as he backed up against the wreckage. Things just kept getting better and better. If only Big Brother and Aiden were here... tough adventurers like them would take care of things in a heart beat, as they usually did. But they weren't. Niku was in trouble.

**A few seconds later...**

Somehow, Niku had found it in himself to run. Run as fast as he could, which unfortunately wasn't fast enough. He could already feel the warm and heavy breathing of the sabres right behind him. Another wisp of wind hitting his back was probably one of the sabres raising its claws. One swipe like that would tear a small-framed boy like Niku in half.

Then, it happened.

The moment he ran into the trees, he was suddenly met by the pale and beautiful face belonging to a young girl who couldn't be more than two years older than him, being fifteen and all. However, things happened really fast and at that moment she had been raising her short lance, a fierce expression on her delicate and pretty face.

Niku would have thought that she was going to strike him, had he not ducked in front of her and saw that she had actually been aiming for the sabre behind him.

He was too busy cowering behind a tree afterward to see what was going on, but he could guess by the sounds of heavy thuds, gushes, and weak growls that this girl was picking them off like cattle.

Emelline smirked defiantly, cleaning the blood from her lance on their carcasses and then putting it away. "My kill, my loot," she simply said, figuring this guy was going to be denying the fact that he was saved by a girl or something like that.

When he didn't say anything, she rose a brow and walked around the tree to find him sitting on his rear, back against it and breathing heavily. The boy was covered in wounds and had a makeshift bandage made out of his tunic sleeve wrapped around a gash on his side. This wasn't some knight, she thought. He was hardly even a man. Weird.

"Th-Thank you," was all he was able to muster before collapsing on his side and fading into unconsciousness.

Emelline's face showed much surprise and even went a little pink. Did he really just give thanks? "What...?"

"F... saving... me," Niku hardly managed to say before his eyes closed. He was knocked out.

_Dear Niku,_

_That was the first day we met, wasn't it? I... should have been more grateful for your gratitude._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: OY!**

***Niku's Perspective***

Niku's eyes shot open as he sat up with wide eyes, suddenly awake. It took him a moment to realize he had just been asleep and had a nightmare. But which part was the nightmare and which part happened? Running his hand down to his side and flinching at the pain, he was able to confirm that he had in fact, crash landed on the airship... and survived.

"Where am I?" He thought to himself as he looked around the room he was currently in. It was a rather small room, with nothing but a bed, a window, and a fireplace at the opposite end. "And that girl... did that really happen? Or did my mind make her up? But if that's true... then how am I still alive?"

Questions began to fill the empty gap in his mind as he laid himself back down on the bed, turning to the side and recreating the image of that beautiful girl in his head. He had never seen the likes of such a person before. If she was real, she had saved him... and she had most likely brought him here. But when exactly did he go unconscious?

"It's warm..." Niku whispered to himself as he closed his eyes and found a moment to relax. He remembered how cold he felt after the crash. Gliding his hand back down to the wound on his side, he felt a bandage wrapped around his torso covering the area. Whoever had patched him up had done a good job; the wound had been quite deep. But as more thoughts began to fill his mind, Niku's eyes shot open once more and he pushed himself off the side of the bed. "Ah! Big brother and Aiden!" But a jolt of pain coming from the wound on his side due to his sudden movement caused him to twist his face and lower his head in pain. "Ow!"

And if that wasn't enough, the door at the end of the room flew open and in dashed a sudden white fluff which sped in too fast for him to get a good look at.

"Whaaa-!" Niku held his hands in front of him and fell back on his rear on the hard wood floor, his feline tail coiling itself around his waist.

"Masteeeer! Kupopopooo~" A furry little moogle called out happily as it flew around the room, flapping its little wings rapidly. "Master is awake! Master-master-master-mastermastermastermaser!" It continued to chant out as it flew itself straight into Niku's face and nuzzled the mithran boy's cheek affectionately.

"M-Master? What? Who are- stop that! That tickles!" Niku laughed reluctantly as its nose tickled at his cheek. He had no clue who this moogle belonged to or why it was calling him 'master.' "Please! I don't know what's going on, so stop it already!"

"Kupopopo! Master! Let kupo tell you everything!" The moogle called out happily as it finally stopped and flew towards the center of the room. "It all began with a crash site... kupo!"

_It really did happen..._

_The moogle who was assigned to my Mog House here in San d'Oria told me everything. Apparently, after the girl had saved me from those monsters in the wilderness, I collapsed from blood loss. She and a couple of mages from the Campaign operations in Vunkerl Inlet teleported me here and had me patched up, then left me in this Mog House. _

_She saved me... and then she brought to me to safety. If only I had known her name, I could of maybe found a way to thank her. Even if I have nothing much to give... _

_Still, I'm worried about my big brother. I wonder if he and Aiden made it out of that mess okay. He would come find me if he did, right...? Who am I kidding, it's big brother... of course he's okay. He must be on his way to find me right now. _

_"_Yep, yep!" The moogle nodded its head and perched itself on the bed. "I'm sure your big brother is okay, kupo! Many people have been arriving to San d'Oria as of late, kupopo, and I'm sure your friends will turn up sooner or later, kupo!"

"Y-Yeah... you're probably right," Niku said with a comforted smile. "Big brother is always there for me."

"Yes, kupo! Now that master is here, master should get a head start on finding his way to make do! Mog houses sure don't pay themselves, ya know? Kupopo!"

"Oh, yeah... I need to get to the culinary guild. I told big brother I'd get a job here... do you know where the guild is, kupo?"

After receiving directions, taking a shower, and ordering a new set of clothes from his moogle, Niku set off towards the culinary guild in North San d'Oria. He heard it had just opened up in the city not too long ago and was hoping they still had room for an aspiring cook like himself who wanted to make it into this world as a chef.

_Truth be told, I was feeling quite overwhelmed after stepping out of my Mog House. I rarely left big brother's side, so when I needed to go somewhere, he'd always take me himself. But here I was on my own getting ready to apply for a job and getting all sorts of strange stares from the locale. I guess they don't get many mithran visitors in these parts... let alone of the male population. _

_I eventually arrived in North San d'Oria, which had just been open to the public after enough construction had been made to it. The culinary guild stood at the eastern end of the area with its members walking in and out as their shift began, donning their guild tabards proudly. _

_"_Well, here goes nothing," Niku braced himself as he made his way inside.

_**One minute later...**_

**_"_**Wah!" Niku yelped as his tail was ran right out of there, pots crashing behind him.

"And stay out, damn feline!" The guild manager called out as he stepped over to the doorway and shook his head. "We don't have room for street rats in this establishment, let alone _kids_ who know nothing about cooking!" The pompous elvaan man slammed the door shut without another word.

"They didn't even give me a chance... they threw me out simply because of how I looked?" Niku asked himself as he stared at the shut doors of the guild with a disappointed look on his face. This really was as hard as people made it out to be.

**"Oyyyyyyy!"**

A loud booming voice suddenly caused Niku to give a feline-like shriek as he scrambled behind a crate. Poking his head out with his furry ears plastered against his head, he looked to see what the source of such a loud voice came from. Standing before him was a male tarutaru wearing a tabard that read 'Lion Springs' on it. Upon closer inspection, this tarutaru- albeit still having that somewhat round and tiny shape that their little folk were known to have- had quite a little physique. His arms looked toned and his shoulders were a little more broad than the average taru. His eyes hid under a pair of crimson-red spectacles and on his head was a shaggy mess of orange hair.

"Ey! Ey you, kitty boy! Reizo heard ya' lookin' for a gig, ya' dig!" The taru began speaking to him using a strange form of speech that was quite difficult to understand.

"I'm... I'm sorry?" Niku blinked at the strange person before him, standing up and walking out from behind the crate. "Um... Reizo? A gig?"

"Yeh-yeh! Reizo be I, chill as a thundermelon pie! Don't be closin' your eyes, I'm the one an' only! Everyone else be just full o' lies!" The taru spoke again in his horrid rhymes, giving Niku two thumbs up which he then used to point at himself. "Nuff' of these rhymes, les' get widda times. I'ma ask ya' again, so dis' time check in: Ya' seekin' a gig, so why dont'cha dig?"

Niku squinted his eyes for a moment, trying real hard to understand before piecing it all together. "Um... you have... a job for me?"

**"YEH-YEH!"**

"O-how-howchh...!" Niku pressed his hands against his ears, shutting his eyes tight. How this taru could speak like some gigas was beyond him. "Okay! I'll come with! Just please stop the screaming, it feels like my ears are going to blow up..."

"Aight! That's cool, little man. Follow Reizo, he'll take you to school with a plan." And with that, this taru named Reizo turned on his heels and began making his way out of Northern San d'Oria with the confused Niku.

_Did he just call me little man...?_

_Where is this strange person taking me? And just what kind of gig is he talking about? I sure hope it doesn't have anything to do with that rhyming stuff... nonetheless, my ears are at his mercy now. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: The Gig**

***Niku's Perspective***

So eventually, this Reizo guided Niku to a small little tavern known as 'The Lion Springs'. The name was familiar to him, as he had seen a few people wearing aprons with the insignia and title of the place not long ago.

"Git' it, git' it," Reizo said to a little beat with the clicks of his tongue, motioning Niku in as he held the door open for him.

"O-Okay," Niku blinked, somehow going along with all of this.

Upon walking in, he was immediately met with the warm scent of food. He could just stand there for a few minutes, sniffing the air with his feline-like nose and differentiating the many aromas dancing around him. Unfortunately, Reizo tackled the back of his calves and sent him stumbling forward in order to move him. The buff little taru led him around to the back, ignoring the stares the pair got from the strangers who all sat, ate, and conversed with one another.

"**Reizo! You're late!**" A tall, middle-aged and bearded Elvaan man boomed as the two walked into the tavern's kitchen. He stopped abruptly and looked in bewilderment at the young, timid mithran boy standing beside his short friend. "Who the bloody hell are you?"

Niku felt himself shrink to a size even smaller than Reizo's. He cleared his throat for what seemed like forever before answering in a hardly audible tone. "My name is Niku, sir. I... I don't know why I'm here."

"Niku. Well then, excuse me son, would you mind getting the hell out of my kitchen?" The man gave a tight-lipped smile, mixing in an irritated mood with a sarcastic one.

"Yo! Let it go! I got something to show - So I'll tell you what you want to know!" Reizo continued with his pitiful rhymes, thrusting his hand in a karate motion towards Niku.

"Hrmph," the Elvaan man grunted, glancing once more at Niku and then back at Reizo. "Alright, I'm all ears. And be quick about it."

"The hands, bro. Look at the hands!" Reizo exclaimed, pointing at Niku's hands.

"What? My hands?" Niku quickly looked down at his hands.

The man narrowed his eyes in deep thought as he looked intently at the cat boy's hands. "You got five minutes..." He said to Reizo.

_How do they..._

_What are they..._

_HUH! _

"Kid's gotta wait outside, though," the man nodded towards the doorway they had walked in from.

"Oh, I'll be- Okay I'll wait outside? Yes!" Niku straightened up, pointing towards the door in confusion before quickly walking out.

So he made his way back out into the general area of the tavern and let out a big sigh, slumping his shoulders as he tried to process what was going on, or what those two back there were even talking about. It's not like they were even talking to begin with! It's like they simply communicated by signs.

Either way, it couldn't be helped. It was his own fault for not having declined Reizo's offer to follow him here. He just had such a hard time saying no to people. "What have I gotten myself into?" Niku whined to himself.

But then something caught his eye. Something he did not expect. Something he was not ready for.

It was _her!_

It was the aqua-haired girl from before! The one who had saved him!

She was here in this tavern, eating and sitting with a friend!

An observation like that shouldn't even be worth noting, yet that fact alone shocked Niku to no end!

He quickly dove back around the hallway leading into the kitchen and plastered his back against the wall, becoming one with the wooden architecture. His eyes were wide and his face was nearly flattened at the level of his neck.

"Oh, no. This is not good!" He muttered to himself. "I can't let her see me! I have to get out of here, I'm sorry Reizo."

He was speaking as though he were actually talking to someone, but obviously nobody could hear him. It was a bad habit of his. Talking to himself.

"But if she sees me getting out, she's going to want some sort of reward for saving me, isn't she? And I haven't prepared a proper reward, nor do I even have the money for one! Because that's what adventurers do! They do quests and expect something in return! Ouuuuuuuuuw~," he shivered in anxiety.

"**HEY, KID!**" Reizo called for Niku at the top of his lungs like usual, even though he was standing a few feet behind him.

Niku quickly ran down the hallway towards him, diving into the kitchen and pasting his hand over Reizo's mouth. "Shhhh! SHH! SHHH!" He shushed the taru frantically.

Reizo was attempting to yell some more under Niku's hand, but was muffled for the most part.

"Here," the Elvaan man from before called out behind Niku, tossing a similar apron as all the other employees of Lion Springs were wearing at his face just as he turned around. "Reizo here says you got what it takes. You got the hands we need here at Lion Springs. But listen here, I only do this because I owe him, aye? So I expect great things from you! Monumental things! Spatial things! Capiche!"

Niku tugged and pulled at the apron on his face, holding it out and looking at it, almost completely forgetting about what had just happened. He quickly stood and smiled at the head of the tavern. "You mean, I can cook here!"

"**WHAT!**" The man roared loud enough to send the apron netting back over Niku's head.

Must be a Lion Springs thing. Being able to shout like that. Culinary Shout. Fus Roh COOK!

"That'd be nice, wouldn't it?" The boss gave that sarcastic smile and tone once more. "Being able to cook and work the kitchen with the big boys on your first day, aye? Would make ya quite happy, wouldn't it? Bet you's excited, ain'tcha? WELL IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN! So get out there, and start waiting some tables, Table Boy!"

"T-Ta-Table Boy? Ehehehe..." Niku felt himself shrink to the size of a flea, who even then worked in their own flea kitchens. No, his size was reduced to that of bacteria. Or an amoeba. He was stumped in every way possible. Table boy was the lowest of the low in the history of Vana'diel's cooking. Even garbage boys had it better. They didn't have to deal with hungry and aggressive customers whom mainly consisted of blood thirsty adventurers.

"Right now, you are a speck on a grain of salt in the cooking industry. I won't even so much as look at'cha until you've grown from a speck to a crater. And that's when the real test will start. So dont'chu let me down, Table Boy."

"Yeh-yeh, ya dig? You be like the size of flea shit, so put on yo' threads and get widdit." Reizo followed.

"Um... Yes, sir," Niku nodded reluctantly. Getting his dream job will be no easy task, but at least he_has_ a job now. And at the very least, he will be working _with _food... sort of.

And so, after getting in his Lion Springs uniform and going through with all the necessary procedures, he was booted out of the kitchen and handed a menu to begin waiting his tables. It was a second after that he was reminded who was out there, waiting.

"Hey, Table Boy!" The young elvaan man behind the counter at the front of Lion Springs called him over. "You ready yet? We got people waiting here!"

"B-But I don't know where to start!" Niku replied nervously. He never practiced waiting tables before.

"Just use common sense, then! You see those people with empty tables? They aren't going to feed themselves, you know."

"O-Okay," Niku nodded quickly, turning around and making his way to the first empty table with customers that he saw.

Of course, it just had to be _her _table.

"The fates are against me, oouuuuw~," he whined.

But he came up with a tactic!

He would approach her table holding the menu over his face, open for her and her blonde friend to see what they could order. It was brilliant. He couldn't see, but neither could she see his face. So it was brilliant.

"Hey, watch it!" Annoyed voices called to him as he bumped from person to person, trying to get to the girl's table.

"I'm sorry!" He quickly apologized.

Eventually, he made it to her table and stood there like an idiot, greeting the two girls with a menu plastered over his face.

"Welcome to Lion Springs tavern, Miss and... Miss!" He said, bowing slightly but not enough to show his face. "Would you.. nn.. kindly choose from... uh... our menu here?" He said, struggling to flip the pages while keeping the menu over his face.

"Ohh?" Eri smiled and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. "So I see they recruited a new Table Boy after all! The last one was so rude."

"Nn... Yes," Niku nodded, keeping the menu up like so. "Um..."

Emelline simply glanced to the side, off in her own world and not really paying attention. But she caught Eri's confused stare, motioning towards the strange act the new Table Boy was putting up.

"Do you have a name, or should we call you Table Boy like everybody else?" Eri giggled curiously.

"Um... Yes, Table Boy is fine," Niku responded in a voice that was muffled by the menu.

Eri drew her head back in confusion. "O... kay?"

The three of them remained there, silence engulfing them in the most awkward of manners.

"Um... Miss," Niku stuttered, wanting them to order but not wanting to push them into ordering either. He just wanted to get out of there. He felt so embarrassed.

"Come on, Eri, just order something," Emelline sighed, slumping back lazily in her chair. "I'm starving!"

"Er," Eri shrugged helplessly at her friend. "Alright. Let the man at the counter know Emelline and Eri will have the usual," she said. "He'll know."

Before Niku could pardon himself from their presence, Emelline sat back up and shook her head. "Mm-mm! Forget the usual! I want something different today, Eri. Something that'll really hit the spot. I think I've earned it, heh."

Niku gulped hard, keeping the menu over his face. "What will you have, miss...? The menu is... um... right here."

"Duh," Emelline shook her head, looking up at the menu over the Table Boy's face. "Okay, well, what do you have that is new?" She asked. "All this other stuff looks bland."

"Oh, no..." Niku whimpered to himself. "Did she just ask what is new? I don't know what is new... in order to find out what's new, I have to flip to the proper page and find it on the 'New' section."

"Who... are you talking to?" Eri tilted her head in surprise.

"I think he's crazy," Emelline gave a crooked smile. "I think all Table Boys are dysfunctional, hehe."

"Aw, don't be so mean!" Eri playfully shoved her friend, giving her a "Be nice!" expression.

"It's not my fault he's so slow!" Emelline tapped her foot impatiently. "Are you going to show us or not?"

"O-Of course," Niku said in defeat, lowered the menu little by little, only enough so that the upper half of his face was shown. Gazing down, he began carefully sifting through the pages, albeit finding it hard to look at which one was which because he kept the menu held over the lower half of his face. "I apologize, I am quite new and have trouble finding the right pages, miss."

"Ugh, just give it here!" Emelline snatched the menu from his face. "You won't find it if you can't-" she froze the moment she saw his face, but only for a split second before regaining her composure. "You're that boy..."

Niku's face felt extremely hot and flushed. He stood there in total embarrassment. Not only had he made a fool of himself trying to hide his face from her, but now she knew it was him. "I- da-deba-beh... please," was all he could let out.

"Aw! He's a kitty boy!" Eri smiled wide, reaching into her bag and putting her glasses on as she got a closer look at his mithran features. "So there is still mithran boys around, contrary to what people say!" She sounded almost excited. "Aw, lookit his wittle ears~" she spoke all baby-like, reaching up and fondling his ears.

"Ah-Rrrrrah!" Niku's shoulders tensed up, feeling himself freeze in surprise as his ears were stroked by this stranger. He didn't know what to do!

"_What's up with him?_" Emelline thought to herself, examining him and his nervous posture. "_Why's he all... tense?_"

"Woops!" Eri quickly sat back down, setting her glasses down and clearing her throat. "I'm sorry, Table Boy! I'm just very fond of mithran folk, you see. Your culture is astonishing!"

Niku's ears were flattened against his head as he looked down shyly. "It- It's quite alright, miss."

"Call me Eri!" She smiled, motioning to Emelline. "This is Emelline. She's not very fond of men." She snickered.

"Hey!" Emelline snapped her head towards Eri. "Shut it, that's not true." But she knew Eri was just pulling her leg.

"Um... ehm, uh," Niku tried to speak, but for some reason no words would come out. Why not! It was so frustrating! It felt like his throat was in a knot. But he eventually managed to let out, "Niku!" in a louder voice than intended.

"Niku"? Niku... is that your name?" Eri smiled, speaking softly, as if aware of his shyness. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Niku."

"_Niku,__"_ Emelline thought to herself.

The mithran boy didn't know how much longer he could stand in the presence of the two beautiful girls. Especially the one known as Emelline. She was, after all, the one whom had saved him. The one who had brought him to safety while he was unconscious. He was forever indebted to her. Yet, here he stood with nothing to give her but rather than to charge her for her food.

Wait.

That was it!

He would give them a free meal! A _good_ meal.

Snatching the menu, he bowed his head to them and quickly darted towards the counter. "I'll be back with your order!"

"But... we didn't order anything?" Emelline blinked, her hands still in place as if she were holding the menu.

"That Niku sure is strange!" Eri giggled to herself, ignoring the fact that he was getting them an order that they hadn't placed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Aftermath**

***Emelline's Perspective***

"Emelline!" Eri shoved on the shoulder of her friend, a bewildered smile on her face. "I'm still here, you know..."

Emelline shook her head and turned to Eri, snapping out of her sudden daze. "What? Oh, sorry about that, heh."

"Hmmmm?" Eri leaned forward a bit, giving her friend a playfully suspicious look. "So, is he an old friend of yours?"

"What!" Emelline snapped her head back. "What are you talking about?" She didn't even know why she bothered playing dumb. That Eri was just ridiculously good at reading people. It really was an amazing thing she had going.

"Not once did he look at you, and he was mighty shy the entire time," she giggled. "Call me crazy, but I don't think that's the first time you've met him. And I guess it doesn't help the fact that you were off in your own little world up until he came up to us..."

Emelline sighed. "Damn it, Eri. Why do you have to be so nosey? Okay, look, I met the guy yesterday, after the campaign operations in Vunkerl. You heard about the airship that came crashing down in the afternoon didn't you? Well, he was on that ship. And he was hurt pretty bad- it's a surprise he's already up and about."

Eri's face had gone from playful, to surprised, and then silent. She turned and looked across the tavern to Niku, whom was taking orders from other tables. "I heard about it from the gate guards this morning... that there was one survivor in that ship, and that the other half of the aircraft hasn't been found yet- perhaps lost at sea."

"Mhm," Emelline nodded. "Anyway, he was about ready to pass out. I was looking for some tigers to kick the crap out of, then out of nowhere, I run into this guy who's completely surrounded by them. Honestly, if I had been a few seconds later, he'd be nothing but bones by now," Emelline snickered, sitting back in her chair in a casual manner, ever the tomboy. "Didn't say much after that. He passed out and muttered something about his big brother in his sleep. Then I brought him here on my bird."

"He has a brother?" Eri blinked.

"I guess," Emelline yawned. "I don't think he was on the airship though, I mean, that Niku guy doesn't seem too bothered about what happened."

"Yes, but, denial can do some crazy things to a guy!" Eri sighed sadly. "Poor kitty. Hey, Emmy! I got an idea," she smiled. "Why don't we watch over him? You know, until he can get a hold of his family! Show him around town a bit."

"Pffft!" Emelline laid her head back on the chair. "Yeah, I call bull. You just want to get closer to him! Give it a break, will ya?"

"It's for research purposes, I swear!" Eri laughed. "It's not every day you see a mithran male walking around, away from his homeland. Maybe I can find out the mystery as to why there's so few of them~"

"Uh-huh," Emelline cocked her lips. "Besides, he seems a bit too unstable to be around us. You saw how he was. He looked like he was going to cry!" She protested, but deep down, was a little intrigued by such a strange guy. He wasn't like the other guys.

He was shy.

He was timid.

Lacked confidence, it seems.

Was shorter than most, maybe even a little frail.

And surprisingly, he appeared to be avoiding her. Now that's a new one.

"Emmy? Emmy!" Eri called, snapping her friend away from her trance once again. "I keep losing you," she giggled, once again eyeing her friend suspiciously. "You're being awfully strange, you know~"

"Gah! Can't you let a girl think!" Emelline growled, only acting irritated because she kept being caught off-guard like this. "You do what you want, Eri. I already did my part for that guy."

"Okay!" She giggled. "Hm, we'll have to set up an extra room for him, then-"

"NO!" Emelline protested loudly without meaning to, quickly sitting back up. "I mean, there's no need, heh. I already got him settled into a mog house. Let him pay for his own stay, he's working after all."

"Aw, come on Emmy! It'll be much more convenient that way!" Eri whined. "Plus, he'll get lonely! Kittens need love and attention, you know?"

Emelline looked at Eri in disbelief. "Are you for real? You know, Eri, you're like a little sister to me sometimes. You're a brat who doesn't know when to stop asking for things. You talk too much! And he's not some pet or something! He's a guy who's going to get in way over his head. Sheesh, you were already thinking of such things... give me a break," she grumbled.

"Please?" Eri pouted, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hands and looking up at Emelline, who tried desperately to look away. "Pretty pwease with a rolanberry on top?"

"I said no!" Emelline jerked her own head off to the side, moving it every time Eri would go around to face her again and again with that pout of hers. Chibi!

***Aiden's Perspective***

**Current location:** Batallia Downs

**Point in time:** Firesday - 11:21 A.M.

**Title:** Survivor

"Oi! Is anyone else in here?" Aiden shouted over cupped hands as he walked along the interior of the ruined half of the ship he, Niku's brother, and all the other survivors were in. No one appeared to be gravely injured, and were all being helped out of the wreckage. It was all thanks to the passengers quick thinking and use of magicks.

They had made a rough landing in a place known as Batallia Downs, far from their original destination of San d'Oria.

"Ah, in here!" A soft voice called out from a wrecked guest room that was down the hall. It was a woman's voice.

Aiden quickly made his way down the hall and stopped at a door that was entirely blocked off by wreckage. "Don't worry, I'm coming!" He comforted the victim. "If I can just..." He muttered, attempting to push against the rubble but to no avail.

He sighed in defeat and reached for the lance on his back. "Guess it can't be helped."

Taking a stance with the end of the lance pointed at the rubble in the doorway, he shut his eyes and focused all his energies along the length of his weapon, allowing it to flow into the very end and creating a large, pulsating sphere of energy that coursed with what looked like electricity.

"Hyaagh!" He growled in an attempt to look cool, thrusting his lance forward with all his might and blowing all of the rubble apart. "Ow!" He yelped as a piece of debris whacked him on the cheek. "Bastard."

As the smoke from the attack cleared, he made his way through the open doorway and froze as he found what could only be described as a wounded swan.

"... Hi, there," he tilted his head, almost entranced by the hume woman.

She was beautiful. Despite being in distress, albeit with no visible wounds on her pale skin, she sat along the floor in an elegant white one-piece blouse looking calm as one could be. Her feet were bare most likely due to having lost her shoes during the crash. She looked about his age; eighteen or so. Her hair was lengthy and had a light shade of brown, wonderfully complementing her eyes. They were the lightest color of brown he had ever seen- almost golden. Um... perhaps this wasn't the time to be making such observations.

"He... llo?" She blinked, looking up into her savior's sky-blue eyes. He seemed a bit lost.

"Oh!" Aiden quickly shook his head. "Sorry about that! I was er, waiting for the smoke to clear up."

"Smoke?" The girl blinked. "I... see."

"Heh," Aiden rubbed the back of his head, feeling stupid in that the smoke had long gone. "Anyway, are you alright? Can you stand?"

"I'm fine... I twisted my ankle just a bit, but it doesn't hurt really and I think I can walk," she replied, removing her hand from her ankle and pushing herself up onto her feet without much trouble at all.

"Your ankle is sprained! Here, let me help ya miss!" Aiden quickly answered, hardly letting her stand before sweeping her off of her feet and swinging her delicate form onto his back. "Hold onto me, I'll get ya outta' here, miss!"

"Eek!" The girl shrieked as she was suddenly heaved onto his back. "I can walk, honestly! You don't have to-"

"Nope, can't have you walking around on an injured ankle! We landed right in the middle of Batallia, so we got some hiking to do!"

"But it's not injured- it just hurt a teeny bit! I can't even feel the pain anymore..." she protested.

"Ah, here we go!" Aiden ignored her protests, making his way out of an opening in the destroyed airship's lower deck hall. "Good thing I decided to go back in there one last time, it seems you were the last one! Anyway, I'm Aiden," he introduced himself as he brought himself and the girl out into fresh air with the others, although not letting her off his back and only turning to her with a grin. "You got a name?"

A pink blush crept along the girl's pale complexion as she looked back at him. "... I'm Serena." She couldn't help but look away and down at his firm shoulders, a bit embarrassed that he was carrying her like that.

"Serena, eh? That's a nice name," he smiled. "Like a mermaid, huh?"

She couldn't help but smile, holding back a laugh, "Yes."

"_Hehe, what a cutie,_" Aiden thought to himself. But his thoughts were soon taken aback by the image of Niku's brother, whom stood away from the crowd and looking down grimly.

Almost forgetting that Serena was on his back, he went over to his friend and bumped foreheads with him, trying to get him to look up. "Listen man, he's alive. I know it, I got this gut feeling. Can't you hear them? The skies, man. They're letting me know he's up and around. If you don't think my instinct is good enough, why don't you ask the mermaid on my back? Everyone was sure we had gotten everybody out of the wreckage. They were obviously wrong!"

Serena hid her face in embarrassment... being called mermaid. But she felt a bit rude listening in on their conversation, seeing as though someone dear to Aiden's friend appeared to be missing.

Niku's brother looked up into the sky and sighed. "For mother's sake, I hope you're right. You'd better be right, damn you."

Aiden grinned, "You know it! Alright, it's best we get a move on. Jeuno isn't too far from here, maybe they can help us out. I'd rather not be out here after dusk."

"Jeuno? Are they not closed off to outsiders?" Serena asked quietly.

"Yeah, they are," Aiden frowned. "But who knows, a group of crash survivors, a beautiful mermaid, and a dashing young devil like myself might be enough to convince them to at least help us," he laughed defiantly.

Serena blushed every time she heard him call her that. She couldn't tell if it was simply embarrassing or sweet.

Niku's brother shook his head, in a way glad that stupid Aiden was here. He always did know how to lighten up the mood. But to be honest, he had felt it too. That Niku was still alive.

All they could do now, was leave the wreckage and make their way on foot past the hills and to the isolated city of Jeuno, known for its restricted access to what seemed like the rest of the world.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Ecco**

***Niku's Perspective***

**Current location:** North San d'Oria - Parade Ground**  
><strong>**Poin in time:** Firesday - 3:50 P.M.**  
><strong>**Title:** Table Boy**  
><strong>

"My gil purse sure took a hit with that order..." Niku sighed lightly to himself as he looked down at the little bag in his hands. He wasn't sure how much longer it would last him if he didn't keep this new job of his. But he smiled in relief.

Walking along a garden promenade in Northern San d'Oria, he set his gil purse back into his pockets and stretched his arms out. It was just about noon now, and he had just gotten off of work. He smiled, because he thought the meal he had special ordered for the two girls; Emelline and Eri, would be enough to show his gratitude towards them. Well, towards Emelline anyway. It felt like a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

The meal itself was supposed to be a Lion Springs' favorite, and quite expensive as well. He made sure not to bother the two girls any longer after that. He just completed his work for the day and left as quickly as he could. He wasn't even the one to serve it to them.

"I hope it was okay for me to leave just like that..." he muttered in concern, not having had reported his leave since he had been in such a hurry.

Finding a nice spot under a tree in the promenade that overlooked a moat with fish swimming about, he decided to sit down on the soft grass and rest his body. He had never darted from one spot to another so fast before in his life.

"Waiting tables sure is tougher than it looks!" Niku sighed as he laid back on the soft grass with his eyes closed, ears perking a bit and nose twitching as he felt a presence before him. Opening his eyes suddenly, he couldn't help but flinch in surprise as he met the eyes of another boy about as tall as he, on his hands and knees looming over him.

The boy gave a little smirk and chuckled. "A bit jumpy, aren't we?"

Niku had sat up at this point and scrambled back against the tree in surprise, eyes widened. "Mrrow! Wh-wha- who-!" His tail and ears were standing on end.

But upon closer inspection, he realized something rather strange about this boy. Getting a good look at him now, he saw that the boy; although about the same height as Niku, had a much more childish face and a pale complexion. Beneath his mischievous smirk was a pointed pair of... fangs? And not only that, but the color of his eyes were as crimson red as the shade of his lengthy hair that fell just past his ears.

The boy was definitely Hume-looking, just... different. He had the round ears and everything.

"Easy, cat boy. You sure do scare easy," he chuckled once more, speaking in a rather pubescent tone that matched his appearance. "I saw you at the Lion Springs tavern... talking to those girls."

The boy inched forward a little more, his smirk widening. "You like them, don't you?"

"Th-that's not..." Niku began, stuttering as the boy came closer. "I was just- It was a reward for-"

"You don't have to lie. I saw how nervous you were. I was watching you," the boy closed one of his red eyes with a smile. "You won't be able to get a girlfriend acting like that, you know."

"G-girlfriend?" Niku echoed in disbelief, backing up a little more as the boy continued to inch closer to him. "I don't... my mam- er... I shouldn't be thinking about that kind of stuff yet, I... think." He recalled his mother telling him girls could be really manipulative at his age. "_I should just get up and leave_," he thought to himself.

"Then, you'd rather think of boys?" He replied with a sneer, close enough now so that Niku could smell a strong sweetness coming from the boy. It reminded him of that hard, pearly candy one could buy at some vendors or trolleys.

Niku wanted to leave. He wanted to just get up and walk away, but as usual, he was frozen into the ground. All he could do was turn away. "That's not what I meant..."

The boy finally stopped, looking at the mithran boy with a mischievous smile for a few seconds before going into a laughing fit and ruffling Niku's hair hard along with his furry ears. "Easy, Niku. I'm just joking, you know. I just thought I'd pick on you, is all."

Turning to him in surprise, ignoring the rough patting of his head, Niku looked at the boy and asked, "H-how do you know my name?"

The boy smirked once more, the points of his fangs poking through his lips once more. "I'm psychic."

Niku's eyes opened wide in bewilderment. But only until the boy began to throw another laughing fit, pressing a hand to his own stomach.

It was then that Niku realized he was pulling his leg again. Giving a grumpy look, he lowered his head in defeat. He figured he heard their conversation back at the Lion Springs.

"Then, what's _your_ name...?" Niku asked suddenly.

The boy stopped laughing for a second and blinked. "My name? My name... hm. You can call me Ecco," he shrugged, standing up and using Niku's head to lean on. "So, do you like her?" He asked again as if it were his business. "Emelline, that is. Her friend is cute, too- Eri. Hm, both of them at once... that would be something spectacular," he chuckled.

"Wh-what!" Niku exclaimed in shock. His face had flushed a bright red. Just who was this boy? This 'Ecco'. He sure was getting quite suggestive.

Standing over him like this, Niku could better make out Ecco's outfit. He wore a black and gray top which was short-sleeved from the right side, and had a long draped sleeve that went past his knuckles on the left side. The collar's opening was rather large, exposing much of his bare shoulders and chest. His ashen leather trousers went down just above his knee caps, the rest being the skin on his legs down to a simple pair of boots.

Suddenly, without another word, Ecco took a hold of Niku's hand and yanked him up onto his feet. "Come on!"

"Wha! Where?" Niku asked in amazement at Ecco's sudden pulling.

"We're going to go find them! The two girls. Her friend Eri was looking for you after you left, you know. But you disappeared without a trace."

"NO!" Niku cried out like a child being taken to the doctor for some shots, trying to resist but surprisingly unable to do so against Ecco's grasp. "Ecco, stop! I can't!"

"Oh, quit yer bitchin'! It's not good to keep a girl waiting, you know," Ecco smirked, one of his fangs almost glinting in the sunlight as he was beginning to feel amused. "This will make for some good experience!"

Why was this boy so intent on getting Niku together with the two girls? And how could he be leading him so easily? It was as if the two had met before or something, and Niku was regularly his victim.

The cat boy struggled and struggled but to no avail. He was dragged back towards South San d'Oria with nobody heeding his obvious cries of despair.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Oops!**

***Eri's Perspective***

****Current location:** **South San d'Oria - Victory Square**  
><strong><span>Point in time:<span>** **Firesday - 4:12 P.M.  
><strong><span>Tit<span>le:** Total Clutz**  
><strong>

"Now, where could Niku have gone and run off to?" Eri tapped the front of her head with her index finger in thought. Both her and Emelline were walking near the fountain at the eastern section of South San d'Oria.

"Beats me," Emelline shrugged casually, fidgeting with a part of her corset-like valkyrie body piece and giving a sigh. "I'm stuffed as hell though. With this body piece on, I feel like I could barely breathe! I need to get home and into something more comfortable."

Eri giggled and poked her friend on the forehead. "Are you complaining about the valkyrie armor again? First you said it showed too much skin, then you said the helmet was stupid looking, and now it's too tight?" Looming her face forward, she gave a crooked smile and rose a brow. "Hey, you sure the armor is to blame for the latter?"

Immediately after, Emelline froze and did a double take at her friend. "Are you... Hey! Are you implying that I'm getting fat?"

"Fat? Oh, no!" She smiled, bringing her hand forward to Emelline's mid-section and giving it a little shake. "I'm just saying you are getting a little _chonchis_ is all!"

Emelline grunted as Eri squeezed her stomach. She was feeling compressed enough without Eri doing that. But she suddenly tilted her head in confusion, staring at her friend. "_Chonchis?_ What the hell is _'chonchis'_?"

Eri stifled a laugh and hurried forward, putting her glasses on before waving the back of her hand at the confused Emelline. "A nicer way to say fat."

"HEY!" Emelline growled while holding her perfectly flat stomach. She shortly began chasing after her friend towards Victory Square.

_Hee, you may act like a tomboy, but you are still as self-conscious as ever Emelline!_

_Oh yes, I might say some strange words sometimes. I have a little habit of making up words, preferably for insults. They get on Emmi's nerves, hee. _

_I suppose you could call me a big meanie, but she's just so cute when she's grumpy! _

_Ah well, It's a shame that the kitty boy decided to run off without us. I was really looking forward to learning about him! Maybe next-_

"Aiiiee!" Eri shrieked as she turned the corner right into another person, who at the same time had also shrieked before the collision.

The world spun rapidly for what felt like the blink of an eye. Then, before she knew it, Eri laid on top of a familiar kitty boy, her eyes in a daze.

***Niku's Perspective***

Niku's forehead was throbbing. That was quite a blow! He couldn't even bring himself to speak, wanting instinctively to apologize to death. His head continued to spin and at this point, all he could feel was the soft, tall and slender form of the Elvaan girl Eri from before lying on top of him. The bad thing, however, was that he was almost certain that his face was smothered in between her breasts.

… _She did have some rather large ones. _

When he realized the predicament he was in, Niku suddenly began to squirm and muffle out under the girl, holding both arms out and pointing at her as if signaling for somebody to help her off of him.

_Sure, I could just shove her off, but not only would that be rude... people would also think that I was trying to feel her up or something! _

_Notice the arms-out tactic!_

Ecco remained around the corner, out of sight. Pressing his back against the stone walls, he brought his hand to chin and curled his pinky finger out, a wide and mischievous grin on his face. "Oops! My, my, we are in trouble. What will you do now, cat boy?"

Emelline just stood there, blinking at the spectacle. But soon after regaining her wits, she stomped over to the two and shook her fist. "Hey, watch it buddy! We're walking here!" She growled, ready to deliver a Knuckle Sandwich A'la-Emmie.

"_Mmph mm-hmmph_!" Niku muffled an apology against Eri's chest.

_They sure didn't look like they were walking! Ow, my head..._

But as Eri pulled out of her daze and pushed her hands against the ground to relieve the victim she was unintentionally stuffing, both her and Emelline stopped in surprise.

"Hey, look!" Eri giggled like a ditz. "It's Niku! We were just looking for you!"

Once again, Emelline grew quiet in a manner that was so unlike her.

Niku's face was beet-red. How could she look so happy to see him when her chest was just violated by his face! He could only stifle an incomprehensible whimper. What else could he have done? Here was this beautiful girl, laying on top of him in the middle of Victory Square, smiling down at him!

He did what he figured most boys would do in this particular situation.

He fainted.

"Uh oh, I think you broke him," Emelline muttered. "You bumped into him, not me! I had no part in this murder."

"Eep! Niku?" Eri shook him. "Wake up!"

***Big B's Perspective***

**Title:** Survivor

_Man, mom is gonna kill me when she finds out what happened to Niku. _

_I mean, I'm pretty sure he's alive like Aiden says, but that still doesn't mean mom won't tie my tail to the post outside our home for everyone to see that I messed up... she's certainly done it before. _

_Damn it, Niku. Why couldn't you just listen to me and stay on deck? Can't be helped now, I guess. I'm just hoping he either landed near a town or in a location overrun by campaign operations. He'd be safe enough there. _

"Hey! Anybody home?" Aiden shouted as he punched the large wooden gate lined with steel belonging to Jeuno's entrance. Even now, he still carried Serena on his back, who looked as embarrassed as ever. He might as well have tied her down to him.

The other survivors of the ship remained with them, staying together and taking this time to treat the wounded. The majority of them were either Mithran or Tarutaru being that the air ship departed from Windurst, but there were a few foreigners like Aiden and Serena there too.

"_What do you want?"_ A voice finally called through the gate as a little hatch slid open revealing the visor of a white plated helmet. "What's this, then?"

"Hey, we need some help!" Aiden quickly spoke up, looming close to the hatch opening. "We're from-"

But before he could finish, the armored person on the other side interrupted in an almost pleasantly surprised manner.

"Hang about, is that Lady Serena!" He asked, lowering his head a bit to get a closer look at the pretty girl on Aiden's back.

"Eh?" Aiden blinked, glancing at Serena then back at the guard.

"Serena the Serene? Starlight Serena?" The guard continued to pry, seemingly naming a number of acts.

Serena blushed a bit and laughed softly. "Yup. That's me."

"My apologies, Lady Serena!" The guard suddenly began unlocking however many locks there were on the other side. "We hadn't any idea you were going to perform! I'm a big fan, you see-" he continued, going off on a rant as he worked on unlocking the gate and called for the ones working the main gate itself to get it opened.

Aiden rose a brow and turned to Serena with questioning eyes. "Starlight Serena, huh?"

Serena put a finger to her chin and smiled, looking down. "Well, I'm a dancer but I... I really don't have any scheduled performance in Jeuno at the moment, as my next show was in San d'Oria... but perhaps it is best if we go with it?"

"I see!" Aiden grinned. "So, you are famous! I'm sorry, if I had known..." He quickly muttered, setting her down and giving a light bow, motioning her in first before all of them.

Serena could only giggle, shaking her head. "It is quite alright. I'm not that famous, I just have a few fans here and there..."

Aiden grinned shyly. "Heh, I should have known by how beautiful you are. Most small town girls aren't as pretty!"

Big B quickly shoved Aiden aside and warned him, "Hey, keep a low profile. Right now, these idiots think we're some kind of troupe. Also, we got other girls on this ship too, you know. I don't think they take too kindly to your small town comment..." He muttered, shrugging his hands out and stepping away.

He was right. Many of the young female survivors were giving the idiot dragoon some nasty looks.

"Oh, shi- I mean... I wasn't referring to them!" Aiden laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Still, lucky we had Serena with us, eh?"

Big B rolled his eyes and shook his head, going through the gate after everyone else. "Come on."

_The afternoon is growing old. I'm hoping that I could find some news about the other half of the airship in Jeuno. Maybe even about Niku._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Welcome Home**

***Emelline's Perspective***

****Current location:**** North San d'Oria - Emelline & Eri's Residence**  
><strong><span>Point in <span>time:**** Firesday - 5:01 P.M.**  
><strong><span>Title:<span>**** Charitable Valkyrie

"You know, you didn't have to bring him here to _our_ residence, Eri," I sighed, calling over my shoulder towards the bathroom, where my elvaan friend was humming happily while taking a shower. We had dragged Niku into the empty guest room that we never use but she insisted we kept. He was still unconscious. "You just had to take my only comfort zone from me..."

I could hear Eri giggle from the shower. "You are still going on about that, Emmy? I told you already, it's for my research!"

I was moving my lips to her speech. She was beginning to sound like a broken record with that line.

"We couldn't just leave him," she continued. "And he didn't seem to be doing so well as Table Boy, you know. For all we know, his job could be hanging by a thread! Worst comes to worst, he loses it, and the mog house you registered for him will go unpaid for and he will get into even more trouble with finances!"

_Is she really turning this around on me? Grr..._

"And with no friends or family here, he'd have nobody to bail him out you know," Eri went on, making my shoulders slump and my lips purse more and more. "Mhm! He'd be in debt, homeless, living in the street, and constantly on the run from loan sharks! Wouldn't that be grand for the sole survivor of an airship crash?"

_Wow... when she puts it **that** way..._

"Alright, I get it!" I stopped her before she could go any further. Eri sure could be persuasive sometimes. And imagining such a hopeless boy in that kind of situation almost made me feel guilty."We'll help get him on his feet, but that's it! People will start thinking we're running some kinda charity here..."

"I'm glad you see it my way!" Eri giggled, starting to hum once again. "As always~"

I pushed myself off the wall and cocked my head away in reluctant defeat. "Whatever! I hate you."

"No, you love me," Eri retorted. She suddenly stopped humming and peeked over the shower curtains with a smile. "Oh! Will you do something for me, Emmy?"

I tapped my foot on the floor and crossed my arms, not looking back. "What is it now?"

"You are going to hate me for asking this, but... I need you to take the damp cloth near the stove and place it over Niku's forehead for me!" She asked, smiling playfully as if she were already expecting my reaction.

"What!" I exclaimed, turning around with a scoff. "This is exactly what I was talking about, Eri! No way am I going to play "maid" to some stranger. You can do that when you get out of the shower!"

Eri pouted, creeping back behind the shower curtains. "But I just went in! I noticed his face was running a little hot and I figured he might be getting sick... and you know what would happen if he got sick, right?"

_...Ugh._

I shook my hands in midair and let out a frustrated groan. "Fine! You owe me big time after this!"

"Aw, you are so sweet!" Eri waved her hands over the curtains. "Thanks, hun!"

I stomped off to the kitchen and snatched the wet cloth from the counter, making my way back down the hall towards the guest room. The door was halfway open, as Eri had left it. Niku, of course was still knocked out. We had laid him on his back on the guest bed. He didn't weigh too much, having a smaller frame than most guys. And I guess being part feline had something to do with it. But it was still a pain in the ass dragging him all the way home.

_Look at him, lying there... he sure must be comfortable. He'd better be grateful for this. _

_But I guess it is my own fault... picking up a stray cat. What else was I going to do? Leave a wounded boy out there in the middle of nowhere? _

_At least he was grateful for my help and said thanks. I guess that felt alright. Other guys would deny that they were ever in trouble. _

_Sigh..._

_I bet that's why he might be burning up. Not everybody goes to work the next day after falling out of the sky and crawling out of some aircraft wreckage covered in wounds out into the cold wilderness. _

_Well, I guess he had no choice... I kind of registered a mog house for him without his consent, huh? Woops._

I had to reach my hand over and brush the hair away from his forehead in order to place the cloth there, so I did. Leaning over to do so, I couldn't help but stop and stare at the furry feline-like ears poking out of his hair. I was only ever used to seeing the few mithran merchants or adventurers who dropped by here, and they were always female... so seeing a male mithra for the first time gave me the urge to just tug at his ears and see if they were real. I didn't, of course.

_He smells a bit like... melon? Oh yeah, he was carrying a squashed melon pie with him wasn't he? Heh, a lot good that would have done him in the wilderness. I could almost laugh at that. _

Niku's eyelids twitched for a second before opening. The surprises were just endless for him. First, it was Eri who was eye to eye with him earlier. Now, it was me. His eyes widened, ears perked up, and all he could do was stutter a few words while staring back.

I don't think this particular position was helping me any. I looked down at him, my hand on his forehead, a half-smile having been on my face just after he opened his eyes because of the melon pie thing almost making me laugh. Now, I stared back at him with an equally shocked face before pulling back as fast as I could.

_Crap! I should have just slapped the cloth on his forehead and walked out..._

Both of us had pulled back on cue. I hadn't realized how long I had unintentionally been lingering like that. I didn't even know what to say!

"I'm s-sorry!" Niku finally broke the silence with, sitting up on the bed and timidly leaning against the wall glancing at me.

I simply looked at him, bewildered. "Why... are _you_ sorry?" I was still looking for the right words. I didn't know whether I should be mad at Eri for making me put the cloth on his head, or if I should be sorry. Well, I should be, but for some reason... he apologized first!

"I um... I don't... know," he muttered, bowing his head. "I was just... surprised."

I turned around and crossed my arms, secretly cursing Eri. "This isn't what it looks like!"

I could almost feel how tense he was getting.

"I.. I know," he quickly stuttered.

I turned my head to the side and looked at him suspiciously. "You know? How? What do you know? You were knocked out."

He fiddled his own fingers and looked down at my hand. "I saw the damp cloth..."

_I couldn't tell if he was blushing or if his face was just red from a flu that was building up. Either way, I didn't like it! _

_He doesn't seem to be misinterpreting what had just happened, but maybe he is and is just hiding it. _

_Don't want him to get any funny ideas now..._

I glanced at the cloth, then at him before narrowing my eyes and shaking it in front of me. "I was only putting it on you because Eri asked me to, got that? She couldn't do it herself because she was in the shower."

Niku quickly nodded his head, keeping his gaze towards the ground like a child who was being scolded. "Got it..."

I put my arms to my hips and looked off to the side grumpily, not even knowing exactly why I was lashing out at him.

_Probably because he caught me off-guard._

"By the way, for some dumb-Eri reason, you're staying with us until you stop being hopeless. Sound good? Good! Welcome home," I said sarcastically.

"What?" He rose his head in surprise, kicking his feet off the bed. "Oh! I have my own mog house, I'm grateful for your help but... I don't think it'd be right if-"

"Not anymore you don't!" I cut him off. "I unregistered your mog house. Sigh... sorry for registering it without your permission in the first place. Your moogle will drop your things off later. And if you don't like it, well, you can go re-register one of your own accord!"

_Funny, I'm trying to get out of his hair... yet I just basically took away his mog house and told him he's living with us now. Why am I the one doing this? Eri should be explaining, not me. I only came here for the cloth!_

"I..." Niku began, wondering what he could possibly say. He didn't want to decline their generous offer and seem rude, but at the same time he didn't want to look like some homeless freeloader.

"Oh, don't worry, this won't be your private inn," I pointed at him with the damp cloth which was now beginning to dry. "Since this is my house too, you owe me lunch at the Lion Springs!"

_Hey, being a Valkyrie is hungry work sometimes. I don't ever eat while on duty, so... _

… _wait._

I froze for a second after saying that, quickly waving my hands and shaking my head. "No! I didn't mean that as in a date- I mean as in a free lunch without paying!"

Niku's ears fell back against his head, his face growing redder with the date comment. He certainly wasn't thinking of that when she said lunch. Who would go on a date with him? Keeping his eyes down, he gave a quick nod. "Okay... deal!"

I kept growing more frustrated by the way I continued to stumble over my words. It made me feel so weird. Before I continued to make a fool out of myself, I threw the cloth over his face and stormed out. "Take... your stupid cloth!"

_When I get my hands on Eri... I swear._

_But... _

_Why am I getting so riled up over such trivial matters? I rarely, if ever, have a hard time with anything._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Crimson Colored Candy**

***Aiden's Perspective***

**Current location:** Jeuno – The Merry Minstrel

**Point in time:** Firesday - 5:33PM

**Title:** Faux Troupe Member

"Hoo!" I let out in relief as I dropped my things on a table and slumped into a chair, rubbing my belly. "I tell ya, I could eat an entire fried chocobo right about now." Me and Niku's Big B had dropped by a tavern in Jeuno known as the Merry Minstrel. This city had airships, but were only in use by officials from the Duchy. Believe me when I say we aren't too upset about that!

Big B threw his weapons on the table alongside my things and sighed as he sat down. "I asked around about the airship crash, but people are either pretending to be clueless, or are being shut up by the Duchy," he mumbled. "So much for info on Niku..."

"Hey, hey," I stopped him, leaning over the table and jabbing him on the shoulder. "What did I tell ya? Niku's doing just fine! Master taught us how to read the skies, right? Well, I'm quite proficient at it, as you may know," I grinned, sitting back down on my chair and pushing myself back against the rear legs with my foot against the table.

"Oh, yeah?" Big B asked sarcastically, throwing a small sack of gil at my forehead. I'm sure he was just as hungry as I was. "The caravans have finished their routes for today. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to move out."

I caught the bag in my hand as it bounced off my head and smiled wide, dumping some money in my palm and kicking up the menu into my other hand. But I lowered it and shrugged my shoulders as I let my head hang to the side lazily. "Aw, what's the rush, mate? Its only the second time we've been here! Let's take it easy and relax for a bit!" I chuckled almost too casually.

Big B wasn't buying it. He rested his arm over the back of his chair and swayed his head to one side. "Pfff, why do I get the feeling you're only saying that because of Serena? Sometimes I wonder if you're ever going to stop being such a damn dog."

I cocked my mouth to one side and tapped on the table for a second before making a pop with my lips and lifting one finger up. "Time for some grub! Be right back," I said as I stood up and made my way towards the counter, more so in the direction of another table where a pair of cute girls had been eyeing our table and giggling to one another sat.

"We're leaving tomorrow," Big B called out over his shoulder as I tried to dodge the conversation.

Sliding my hand along the girls' table and leaning against it, I smirked at them and nodded my head towards our own. "Yo! You see that guy over there?" I was referring to Big B, of course.

"Yeah!" One of them; a Hume girl, sat up immediately with her eyes sparkling in interest. "He's Mithran!"

"Yep! In the flesh," I winked. "But he's a little troubled at the moment, and I can't seem to cheer him up..."

"Aw, what's wrong?" The other girl, also a Mithra asked with a pout.

"Ehhh," I squinted with a shrug. "He kinda... misses his little brother, you see? So I figured, a pair of cute girls like yourselves might help him forget about that and enjoy some pretty company!"

Big B was looking over at us from the corner of his eyes with a cautious expression. "_Um... what is he doing?_" He thought to himself.

The two looked at each other and blushed, appearing to speak to one another with just their eyes. "Um... but... okay!" The Hume girl suddenly spoke up, smiling and pushing herself out of her chair.

"Sure, we can help!" Her friend sprightly agreed and followed behind the other.

"Right on!" I grinned, clasping my hands together and then pointed at them. "I'll go get the food, heh. Be right there!"

Big B's shocked expression was priceless. He was about to get up to protest but ended up sitting back down in defeat. He wasn't going to blow off a pair of nice girls like that! He could only watch me in disbelief as the girls made themselves comfortable at our table. However, I wouldn't be joining them.

I winked at him and mouthed with my lips, "_Get em' tiger,_" before walking off. For me, it was time to find Serena!

Almost as if to answer my prayers, the red silken curtains at the stage were drawn back, and there stood a troupe of beautiful dancers in position. In the center of them all; the lead, was Serena. My jaw nearly fell open as I made my way in a trance over to the nearest table to watch. Just when I thought this little mermaid couldn't get any more beautiful, she shows up in her Dancer outfit.

The lights dimmed, and the music began.

The outfit itself was mostly black, though the top was lined with red frills and golden seams that were shaped into two roses around the breast area and designs over her shoulders. Her smooth, flat stomach was fully exposed for those watching to marvel on. It wasn't long before I stopped looking at her body and instead was taken aback by the graceful movements of her dance.

She was... like a swan gliding on the water's surface. There really was no other way to put it. Just as I had perceived a wounded swan when I found her back at the wreckage, now I saw one dancing. The dance began to heat up as their movements became more aerial and the juggling of curved daggers came into play.

Oh! Look at that, she just smiled at me!

She saw me, heh!

***Ecco's Perspective***

****Current location:**** ? - Master Bedroom**  
><strong><span>Point in <span>time:**** Firesday - 5:41 P.M.**  
><strong><span>Title:<span>**** Boy Who Smells of Candy**  
><strong>

Kaori, my young Elvaan _acquaintance_ shaped her glistening pink lips into a smile as she looked down at me and ran her smooth index finger along my bottom lip after tucking her lengthy purple hair behind her ear. "Oh? Tell me more, boy," she spoke softly and almost in a whisper, but much interest in her tone. She was a curious person. Her bright blue eyes gazed into mine, yearning to hear more of my new feline _friend._

I narrowed my eyes and gave her a playful smile, red eyes burning back into hers as I gave her finger a little nip of my fangs and slid my tongue along the small trickles of blood that began seeping out. Taking a hold of her wrist with one hand, I suckled softly on the little nip wounds before pulling my lips away and brushing the back of her warm hand against my cheek. "There's not much more _to _tell," I snickered. "I only played with him for a little while."

Kaori had been biting her bottom lip while I was fondling her finger with my tongue. "Oh well," she smiled again, pulling me into her lap as she sat down at the edge of her bed. "But you do seem rather excited all of a sudden, boy," she giggled, running her hand down my chest and looking up at me as I rested my knees on the edge of the bed, her lap sitting just under my middle.

She just loved holding me like this, holding me to her like a real pet... and so did I. I loved the way she handled me with such tenderness. I leaned forward and ran the tip of my nose along her neck, taking in that intoxicating scent. "You smell as delicious as you taste," I smiled to myself, placing my lips over her soft skin and suckling it ever so gently. Her perfect breasts pressed against me as I got myself nice and snug on her. Running my lips up past her cheek, I brought the tip of my tongue out and slid it around her long, pointed Elvaan ears before whispering, "Don't worry, I'll see him again... I want to tell you more about him."

Kaori shut her eyes and continued to run her hands down my upper body, moving one hand aside and reaching for the tray beside us on the bed that kept a small assortment of sweet pearl-shaped candy drops. She picked a crimson strawberry flavored one up and pushed it gently against my lips until I parted them to take it into my mouth. She smiled once more, resting her hand on the waist line of my trousers.

"Mmm," I smiled, bouncing the candy drop along my tongue inside my mouth.

Leaning forward, Kaori ran her sweet candy-coated tongue along my lips and said, "Good, I want to hear all about it, boy," before locking us both into a deep kiss. She fell back against the bed, taking me along with her by my trousers. We both giggled like children against the kiss.

***Niku's Perspective***

Picking the damp cloth Emelline had brought me off of my face, I let out a sigh of relief and folded it up neatly, looking down at it for a moment. "What am I doing...?" I asked myself. "I'm always causing trouble for everybody... no matter how hard I try not to."

It was true, too. I was separated from Big Brother and Aiden because I went back into the lower deck when they asked me specifically to stay on deck...

And I can't imagine the trouble I've been giving Emelline... since she saved me the other day. Giving a sigh, I brought a hand to my forehead and realized I was beginning to feel quite hazy. My face felt hot. "Oh, no... I don't want to get sick..."

My voice sounded like it was draining out as my head swayed, the haze around my eyes growing bigger. Before I knew it, I was back against the bed with my feet hanging off the side, cloth in my hand as I slipped back into darkness. Not again...

***Ecco's Perspective***

It didn't take long for me to find cat boy again. I just had to jump through a few hoops. Windows, to be exact. I had to be extra quiet, though.

I was in his room now. "See? I told you this was going to be a good experience," I said quietly as he laid there. Hehe, still unconscious. Walking over to the bed, I held my hand up to the side and shook my head, smiling helplessly. "You are hopeless, cat boy."

Placing my hands on the bed on each side of his head, I leaned over and closed in for a second.

Oh? Are those footsteps? Time to go.

But first...

***Eri's Perspective***

Making my way towards the guest room Niku was staying in, I had just been putting my glasses on before finding out that his door wasn't fully closed. I stumbled inside, having reached for the door knob and meaning to twist it before pushing it open.

"Eee!" I squealed, catching my balance at the last second by holding onto the knob. Looking up, glasses dangling over my face, I saw that Niku was still in bed. "Ah, I guess he's still asleep."

Standing back up straight, I fixed my glasses and felt a chilly draft coming in. "Brrr, it's cold in here," I shivered, rubbing my arms and looking over at the open window. "That Emelline, letting the cold in here..."

Going over to it, I made haste to shut it and be done with the cold! But I closed it a little too hard and ended up waking Niku up. "Oh! Y... You're awake!" I smiled nervously.

Niku groaned quietly as he got up, rubbing his forehead and squinting his eyes. It was strange... suddenly, he didn't feel sick at all anymore. But just as he was about to say something to me before freezing in surprise. He quickly brought his palm under his chin and spit out some crimson colored candy into his hand. "Huh?

I blinked and looked down at the piece of candy before smiling wide. "Aw, got anymore of those? _I looove_ candy drops!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Hot, HOT!**

***Niku's Perspective***

**Time:** Firesday – 6:29 P.M.

I spoke with the girl who suggested they bring me to their residence- Eri is her name. To be honest, I was really embarrassed when she sat down with me to talk and tell me about what happened before they brought me here. She is very pretty. We both kept apologizing to each other...

But after talking for a few minutes I found myself responding to her a little easier. Eri must have a lot of friends because she is very easy to talk with. She is very nice and even made some sweet San d'Orian tea for us to drink! I've never had it before, but it was delicious... so generous of her.

She wouldn't let me help, of course, calling me a guest only because I was staying in the guest room. I just feel so bad for causing them both so much trouble. I wish there was something I could do in return besides Emelline's previous proposition...

I didn't even have candy drops to give Eri when she asked if I had anymore earlier... but... I just don't remember carrying any in the first place. Much less eating one while I was here! It's all very strange, isn't it?

Could Emelline have... no, that's silly of me. What am I thinking?

I still can't stop fidgeting around. I feel so rude for not looking directly at her when I speak... it's just, every time I look up at her my face gets really red... am I a bad guest or what?

"Now then!" Eri smiled cheerfully, hopping off of the guest bed and placing her tea cup daintily on the tray and reaching for mine. "Time for the big tour of the house!"

I looked up at her and then quickly held the tea cup out to her, moving a little too fast and unfortunately causing her hand to bump against the tea cup. Both of our eyes went wide. The result was disastrous...

"Hot! Hot!" I yelped as the tea spilled over my shirt. Jumping off of the bed, I removed my top without thinking and let it fall to the floor. The tea had gone through the cloth and my chest was now wet with hot tea. What I didn't realize when I had been dancing around removing my shirt, was that Eri was still in here!

My eyes had become wider as I quickly towards her, both of us greeting each other face to face with a loud, "I'm sorry!" before bumping right into each other. I'm so stupid! While I had turned and stepped back towards her to apologize, she had already been acting quickly to bring the damp cloth from earlier to the hot tea on my chest.

Before I knew it, we both had ended up back on the bed in an all-too-familiar position. I couldn't believe what was happening. Why was I such a clumsy idiot? Why do I have to make everything so awkward?

I looked up at her with half-watering eyes which were the source of my own frustration, ready to apologize for my clumsy actions. But before I had the chance to, I felt another warm sensation on my chest. It wasn't tea this time, however... it was... it was...

… Eri's tongue.

She... she was licking my chest and had her eyes closed. I couldn't believe it. I think she might have been getting the tea off of it but... Eri... was licking... m-my chest.

What do I do? What do I do!

My face is beet red, and all I could do is lay here, making things even more awkward than they already are...! I am completely frozen.

… It's so soft and warm. My skin is starting to feel so tingly...

But why is this happening!

Eri finally pulled her head back and opened her eyes, setting the cloth gently on my chest and giving me a sad smile with rosy cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Niku. I didn't mean to spill hot tea all over you... please forgive me!"

I could only lay there, face even redder than before. I tried to stifle any kind of verbal communication- one word even, but I just couldn't. All that came out were silent stutters.

Eri's face became a little concerned. "Niku? A... Are you alright?" She tilted her head curiously. "I didn't mean to, um... well, I read that Mithran folk prefer to lick wounds or areas of stress on their bodies to prevent any serious damage or irritation... or do it for others when it comes to unreachable spots... like your chest! I've seen them do it before."

Well, it was true. Mithran folk did do that... during a time when there was no medicine and... wounds were a bit more severe than a tea spill.

"Th-Thank you," I finally whispered. "Um... uh... may I go wash my shirt?"

I kept making the situation more awkward than it had to be, and I could see it on Eri's face. I'm sorry. I react very poorly in these situations.

"Yes," she nodded, sitting up indifferently and smiling. "I'll clean up the tea, don't worry about it!"

I picked up my shirt from the floor and made my way slowly towards the door, turning to bow my head awkwardly with a small "thank you" once more. She, too, was blushing heavily by the time I walked out.

I made my way down the hall quickly, half naked with a flushed face. I nearly bumped into Emelline on the way out, but I was still very surprised with what had just happened to think much of it and kept heading out the front door.

I was already outside by the time she had the chance to say anything, but I thought I heard her gasp as I walked by.

Emelline could only ask herself, "Just what in the world did Eri do in there?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Long Day**

***Niku's Perspective***

**Current Location:**Emelline & Eri's Residence

**Time of day:** Earthsday – 7:02 A.M.

**Title:** Guest at the E&E

I awoke the next morning in my guest room after having received an awkward tour by Emelline and Eri the night before.

I say awkward because of what had happened before...

Not that I'm ungrateful for Eri trying to help me or anything! I just never had somebody I just met... well, yeah.

Sitting up on the soft guest bed, I stretched my arms out with a silent yawn and squinted at the light coming from the window. I was so drowsy from how many times I kept waking up and going back to sleep yesterday that I almost forgot I was in somebody else's home. I was so used to waking up in my room at home.

So with my mind still a little hazy, I laid back down on my side and relaxed against the softness of the bed.

My eyes snapped wide open just before I got to relax though, because I was immediately met face to face with Ecco! He had apparently been lying beside me and was now facing me, opening his eyes and squinting as his eyes adjusted to the morning light coming from the window.

"Wah!" I jumped back in total surprise, tumbling off the bed and crashing into the floor on my rear. "Oof! _Ecco!"_ I exclaimed, looking at him in disbelief.

Ecco tensed his shoulders and smirked helplessly as he watched me fall. "That was all you, not me," he mumbled drowsily as he rubbed his eyes and yawned out loud.

"What are you _doing_ here!" I asked in confusion as I rubbed my back. That fall was unpleasant. But I quickly retracted my hand and held both of them up in his direction, looking towards the door and then back at him. "Shh! Emelline and Eri will hear you! Please keep it down!"

Ecco just laughed in response, crawling off the bed and pressing his hands against mine as I looked towards the door once more. Before I knew it, he had his fingers locked to my knuckles and knelt before me with that deviant smirk of his. "Relax, cat boy. They won't hear us. They've gone now, off to join the ranks of the campaign like they usually do."

I pulled my hands away and backed up against the wall, raising my brows in surprise. "What? They did? So... early?" I was shocked that they'd leave me in their home all alone... did they trust me that much? Or maybe they thought I wasn't going to be getting up anytime soon. Wait... how did Ecco get in here?

"Look at my hair," Ecco sighed, tugging at his bed hair. "Kaori is going to be mad that I'm so messy! Thanks a lot Niku," he looked at me grumpily.

"But... I didn't do anything!" I defended myself, and pointed at him. "Ecco, why are you here?"

"Don't try to play innocent," he sneered. "You toss and turn in your sleep. A lot. More than once I woke up with you on top of me! It was funny at first, but then I really started to lose sleep. If you wanted to be on top, you could have just woken up and asked!" He chuckled, running his tongue along the tips of his own fangs. "Oh, and I slipped in through the window after your girlfriends left. I couldn't sleep, and I didn't want to wake Kaori up so... I came to sleep with you!"

"What!" I cried out. He came to sleep on my bed in the middle of the night! That's... that's breaking an entry. I doubt he cares, but still! As if I knew who this 'Kaori' was. I furrowed my eyes and pointed at him accusingly. "Ecco, you can't do that anymore! It's _wrong_ to break into other people's houses! If Emelline caught you... she would be so mad... I cause them enough trouble as it is. And they're not my girlfriends!" I blushed on that notion, my voice growing stern enough to surprise even me. I hardly ever found the need to raise my voice to anyone. "Emelline and Eri are very nice! So quit it!"

"Okay, okay," Ecco mumbled as he stood up and held his arms out in defeat. "Sheesh, don't take it so seriously, it was only a joke!" Pulling down the sleeves of his black pajamas with red bats designed on them, he brought his hands to his chest and shivered. "Brr, it's cold in here. I guess I forgot to close the window earlier," he said, walking over to the open pane.

I sighed and looked down at the floor, feeling guilty for having raised my voice at him. I couldn't help but feel that way. But I should! I mean, I only met this boy yesterday! And he creeps me out...

"Sorry," I muttered.

Ecco blinked and turned to look at me, not having shut the window yet. "Eh?"

"I didn't mean to yell at you," I continued, looking at him. "Just don't be so rude, okay?"

"Aw, I see," Ecco gave a toothy grin as he walked over and squatted in front of me, eye to eye. "You want me to be more gentle!"

My ears fell flat against my head as my shoulders slumped. He was totally misinterpreting my point! "That's not-"

"Kiss!" He suddenly exclaimed as he landed a lightning fast peck on my nose. Cackling, he jumped up to his feet and ran to the other side of the room, diving out of the window and disappearing without a trace.

"Gah!" I ran my hands down my nose with a grimace. "_Ecco!_"

**Living Room**

After changing out of my pajamas and taking a shower- making sure the door was locked, I got ready for my shift at the Lion Springs tavern. I felt bad using their shower room without permission, but I had to get ready...

I found a note on the table in the kitchen that Eri left for me. It said:

_Dear Niku, _

_Emelline and I have joined our usual Campaign regimens at Vunkerl Inlet and won't be back until this afternoon. Work, work! You know how it is, hee. _

_Sorry to be leaving you alone! _

_I'd leave you breakfast... if either of us knew how to cook :( _

_But there should be left over take out from yesterday over there -_

_See you soon!_

_P.S. Emmy says... HEY BABY! _

_-Eri_

_P.P.S. I did **NOT** say that. Damn you, Eri._

_-Emelline_

I kept my lips pursed while reading this, my face flushing lightly at the words. It gave me such a strange feeling inside. Like when you feel butterflies in your stomach.

I think it's because I've never had a personal note addressed to me like this. Especially not from a girl. It looked as if they were both already close friends of mine, the way they spoke to me in the letter. And sure enough, where the letter was pointing stood the neatly packaged container of yesterday's Lion Springs special left over.

Gosh, my freeloading never ended. I was already living in their home, I didn't want to steal their food either...

But... if I don't eat this share of left overs, they'll have gone bad by the time they got back. And they'd think I didn't want their food... so I ate it. It was delicious.

Although, as I reread the letter... I smiled to myself triumphantly at one particular line.

"_If either of us knew how to cook."_

I knew exactly what to do now!

***Emelline's Perspective***

**Current Location:** Vunkerl Inlet – Main Tower

**Point in time:** Earthsday – 12:36 P.M.

**Title:** Charitable Valkyrie

"You're sure in a good mood," I rose a brow at Eri as I made my way into the tower and found her working on her Alchemy at one of the benches. She was humming to herself, daintily mixing in the proper ingredients to her reagents.

"Ah, back from your first shift?" She smiled cheerfully, tightening a lid on one of the glass bottles and shaking it for a moment. "And what do you mean? I'm always in a good mood, silly!" She giggled, placing the bottle back down on the table as it began to bubble. But her eyes began to widen little by little as it began to do so violently. "Uh oh! Duck!"

"Wha-" I stifled out before I even got the chance to ask. Eri had tackled me down to the floor with a shriek as the potion burst with a loud pop, blowing a puff of smoke and charring the table black.

"Aww, no!" She pouted as she looked up. "I added too much... I think!"

I was laying there with my eyes wide in surprise at the sudden explosion, ignoring Eri's breasts all over my face. "Now that's a first," I muffled against them. Eri _rarely, _if _ever_ messed up on her ingredients. She's been doing this stuff for years.

As she got off of me, I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her and jumped back to my feet. "Now I know something's up..."

"It's nothing!" She defended herself stubbornly. "I just... didn't think there... well, perhaps I was missing an ingredient..."

I sighed as Eri stood there scratching her head. Truth be told, I was out of it today as well. There was something different about today in Vunkerl that was causing our minds to trail off and perform poorly. What could it be? Who knows!

I wonder how the table boy is doing. I bet he woke up late thanks to yesterday.

Probably getting his tail handed to him by orders at the Lion Springs.

He needs to step it up there...

Tsk, tsk.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – Boom. Headshot.**

***Niku's Perspective***

**Current location:** South San d'Oria – Victory Square

**Point in time:** Earthsday – 3:11 P.M.

**Title:** Guest at the E&E

"Gotta hurry!" I exclaimed as I ran from bazaar to grocery stand all over Victory Square after work. I was gathering ingredients so that I could prepare a nice meal that I had in mind for Emelline and Eri. It was the very least I could do to show my appreciation for them taking care of me...

I didn't have too long to gather everything and prepare it all before they got home, so I was in a rush!

But the problems began when everyone at a bazaar or stand told me they were all out of rarab meat. I must have checked every corner of San d'Oria looking for it, but I had no such luck.

My only option at this point was... to step out of the safety of the walls and hunt one for myself. But how could I? Rarabs are such small and helpless little rabbit-like creatures. It's one thing eating it after it's been prepared in a dish, but it's another having it look you in the eyes as you kill it... I just couldn't imagine doing that. But I had no choice. I had already bought all of the ingredients for this meal...

If only Big Brother were here...

I sighed as I looked at the bag of ingredients in my hand and made my way to the gates leading out to East Ronfaure, just outside the city walls. Maybe I could just catch one and have somebody... do everything else for a price.

**East Ronfaure**

"There's one!" I whispered to myself excited after encountering a rarab a few feet away from me, idling over a hill. It hadn't been any longer than a minute since I walked outside and into the forest. Rarabs were quite the pest, so it was very common to see them almost everywhere. Farmers usually paid people to get rid of them in order to save their produce.

Anyway, I silently crept as close as I could trying not to alert it. As it grew more cautious of my presence, I crouched down and set my bag of ingredients in front of me. Reaching in, I pulled out a bit of lettuce and held it out towards the creature with a smile "Here you go... fresh lettuce! It's a lot better than what you'll find out here," I spoke to it, wondering why I was even doing so. It's not like it could understand me.

"Please?" I begged it as it turned to look at me and twitched its little nose curiously. I felt so guilty, deceiving the otherwise helpless little thing. My heart leaped to my throat as it began hopping towards me. I readied myself and extended my arm as much as I could to get it to come closer. "Little... more!"

It was only a few inches away by the time I decided to leap forward and try to nab it. Miss! All I got was a face full of grass after it used my head as a stepping stone to hop away, taking the piece of lettuce. D'oh!

"Hey!" I called out as it made a run for it and quickly jumped to my feet to chase it. It glanced at me with its bugged eyes and squealed as it saw me coming after it, causing it to hop even faster. "Stand still!"

I must have chased it further into the trees for about a minute until it turned a corner and burrowed itself into a tree.

"No!" I exclaimed in frustration, reaching into the hole but feeling it smack my hand with its long wire-like tail. I pulled my hand back out right after, waving it in the air and crying out, "Ouch! That hurt!"

As I stood back up on my knees, I sighed and rubbed the back of my hand where the red thin imprint of its tail stood. That thing was like a whip. But suddenly... I heard a low growl followed by a silent whistle that ran down the back of my neck.

Eyes widening, I turned around slowly as I realized something was behind me. Something big.

I fell right back against the tree on my rear. Before me, stood a big and bulky orc-like beastman that was about three times my size. It snarled at me with its jagged teeth, gazing at me hungrily with its white beady eyes. It let out a low growls along its breathing, each one causing it to whistle out of its nose.

I froze completely, looking back up at it in terror. All of a sudden, I was the rarab. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't yell... I was done for.

It reached forward and picked me up with its big hands, holding me up like a rag doll and tugging on my tail and ears as if it were curious. It was probably wondering the same thing as anyone else did out here.

_A male Mithra?_

Bringing me closer to its wide and ugly green face, it sniffed me a couple of times before running a nasty and slimy tongue up along the side of my face. It was taste-testing me...

"L... let me go!" I finally managed to cry out, seemingly waking up my body as I began to flail around in its grasp. I felt the bottom of my foot connect with its face. It let out a loud grunt and dropped me back down on the floor.

As I attempted to scurry back on my feet, it rose both arms and prepared to tenderize me to the ground. I could only shut my eyes and hold my arms up as I stood up too late.

I heard an impact, but I didn't feel a thing.

Opening my eyes, I saw a tall and slender figure standing before me. It was a person. And whoever it was had just taken the hit for me...

"You call that a punch?" A mature male voice spoke almost jokingly, staring down the orc as I was met with the man's back. "It's my turn."

The orc grunted in confusion as the man readied a stance that was akin to monks and with one swift and heavy punch across the face, sent the orc tumbling several feet away. It didn't get back up.

"He won't be waking up anytime soon," the man said to me as he turned around and gave a friendly smile, holding out his hand. "Are you alright, then?"

I was still sitting there in a shocked daze, looking up at this person who had just saved my life. He was a young Elvaan man with black hair slicked back against his head in a well-groomed fashion. He rose a brow and blinked at me with focused brown eyes. Quickly shaking my head, I snapped out of my petrification and took his hand, pulling myself onto my feet. "Y-Yes... thank you so much! I thought I was done for..."

He smirked and handed me a cloth to wipe my face. "Don't worry, the orcs of Ronfaure are a lot stupider than they look. So long as you have a weapon, you can easily outsmart them."

I wiped the orc drool from my face and looked down feeling embarrassed. "Well, I... I don't have any weapons... actually, I can't even fight."

"Oh? Is that so?" The man furrowed his brows in thought. "Then what brings you out here? It's too dangerous. I'm Daan, by the way. Got a name?"

"Oh, I'm Niku," I introduced myself. "And, well..."

I explained my situation to the young Elvaan man known as Daan. He told me he was on a mission assigned to him by the King of San d'Oria and that he had just been on his way before seeing me in trouble. He proceeded to tell me that I shouldn't wander out of the city walls if I couldn't defend myself, unless I had a friend that could guide me.

"Tell you what," he smiled, taking a small throwing disc known as a chakram from his waist belt and aiming it directly towards a rarab that was quite a ways away. "If you ever see me in town," he continued, throwing it swiftly at his target. "... you let me know what you need."

Boom. Headshot.

I could only stare in amazement at the display. "R-Really? You'd do that for me...? But, why?"

He had me follow him to the dead rarab, which he picked up by the ears and began to snap its head off like a professional. "You see, I have a wife and child back home who I normally hunt for every day when I come home from my missions. We prefer it extremely fresh, so I bring it home for her to cook, be it sheep, rarab... orc," he snickered.

"Orc!" I jumped back in surprise as I watched him skin the rarab and gut it.

"It was only a joke," he laughed. "I take my kid hunting with me every now and then. You should come with us sometime. He could use some friends," he smiled fondly. I could tell he loved his family. "Ta-da, fresh rarab on the go," he winked, handing me the skinned and gutted meat neatly wrapped in a cloth. I've never seen it done so quickly before.

"Thank you!" I took it and bowed my head respectfully. "I'm grateful... and I'd love to go hunting with your family!" I agreed. I've never been invited to do something like that before. Mama never let Big Brother take me out, so I didn't get the chance. I never knew my father, either...

"Well, then!" He said, wiping his hands and knife as he cracked his knuckles. "Consider it done. You just be careful from now on, Niku. Anymore incident like this and I'll teach you to fight myself," he grinned.

"Eh!"

Adventurers like Daan, Emelline, and Eri are the reason I envy Big Brother sometimes for being able to go out and see the world...

Contrary to what people think of adventurers as only doing what they do for the love of battle, many of them just want to make the world a better place... not just for themselves, but for their friends and family. But who is to say that people can't change?

Maybe one day, I can see the world too.

***Emelline's Perspective***

**Current location:** North San d'Oria – Emelline & Eri's Residence

**Time of day:** 4:02 P.M.

**Title:** Charitable Valkyrie

"Ugh, I'm bushed!" I exclaimed as I threw open the front door of our place and stretched my arms out. "Feels good to be home..."

"Tell me about it," Eri sighed out just as exhausted. Today was seriously a long day for some reason. But she tilted her head and looked around as she removed her campaign clothes. "What's that smell?"

I sniffed the air and blinked at her. "No clue."

It sure smelled good in here. That was definitely hot food in the air.

We both crept over to the dining room, thinking Niku might have brought himself something from the Lion Springs and that it was time for him to share...

However, that wasn't the case. Peeking over the doorway, we saw the table set with a homey little dinner that was prepared for three.

"Does Niku have guests over...?" I whispered over at Eri, wondering what the special dinner was all about.

"Not that I know of," Eri whispered back. "Say, you don't think..."

Just then, Niku walked into the dining room from the kitchen holding a pitcher of juice. He was surprised when he saw us peeking over whispering to each other, nearly dropping the pitcher. "Oh!"

Busted.

"Hi, Niku!" Eri greeted him cheerfully.

"W-Welcome back," he stuttered, looking at the pitcher in his hands, then at us before setting it on the table with a nervous smile. "I'm sorry, I had no idea if you drank wine.. so... I stuck with juice."

"Wait," I stopped him and looked at the food. "Did you, uh... order take out? For us?"

Niku rubbed the back of his head, looking off to the side as his face became red. "I.. you two have been so nice to me, letting, me stay here... so I decided the least I could do while I'm here is cook for you! Eri said that... you two didn't know how. You don't have to eat it if you don't want-"

"This is amazing," I found myself saying in an overly-grateful tone. "Um, I mean... that's very thoughtful."

"Yeah!" Eri smiled, going over to Niku and wrapping her arms around him. "This looks delicious, Niku! That was very kind of you! And juice will be just fine," she giggled.

Niku's ears perked straight up as Eri hugged him, giving a modest smile. "It's... nothing great, it's a simple dinner. I learned to cook at an early age so it's no problem, really!"

"Not great?" Eri scoffed. "I'm ashamed at myself! I couldn't cook half this good if I tried, and I'm a girl...!"

"You and me both," I snickered.

"But... you two work hard and fight monsters," Niku's ears flattened against his head. "Ngh..."

I leaned forward and sighed helplessly at Eri. "You can let him go now, you know! You're going to make him pass out again!"

"Oops! Sorry," Eri giggled, letting him go and going over to the table. "Let's eat before it gets cold!"

"Okay!" Niku smiled, bowing his head in that manner of his.

"I don't know where to begin," I eyed everything. Me and Eri don't normally eat during a campaign shift, so we come home pretty darn hungry and spend a good portion of our dough at the Lion Springs since we can't cook.

Niku looked extremely pleased with out reactions. Why such a good cook resorted to waiting tables was beyond me...

We kept asking Niku how he had time to do this after he had come home from work, but he never went into too much detail. Just that he was in a hurry. I have a feeling he was leaving something out though...

Eri shot me a glance and bounced her brows at me, tilting her head towards Niku as if to say, "Good thing we took him in, eh?"

He was still as shy as ever, but he appeared to be loosening up a bit now and being more talkative.

Okay. I admit.

I like him.

After dinner, we forced Niku to let us help him with the dishes. We weren't going to let him do everything by himself, now!

So, after that we decided to shower- separately of course.

I was surprised at how good he could cook. Very few guys out here go through the trouble of cooking meals, even if they do it as a profession...

I just wish Niku wasn't so shy sometimes. It's hard enough talking to him. I hope we don't make him uncomfortable or anything... but I think I did kinda make him feel obliged to cook for us before, huh? By telling him he owes us free meals at the Lion Springs the other day. I was just kidding, too...

Huh.

I never even thought about that until now.

I should go talk to him. The last thing I'd want is to make him feel like a freeloader... it's not like he isn't working.

After my shower, I got dressed in some simple garments like I usually do before bed and made my way down the hall to Niku's room.

"Hey, Niku?" I knocked on the door.

"Y-Yes?" I heard him call from inside, stumbling over to the door and opening it. "Hi!"

I smiled and held my hand over my elbow. "Is it okay if I talk to you?"

"Huh? Oh! Of course," he said, quickly stepping aside and bowing his head.

I walked in and sat on the edge of his guest bed, looking up at him. He was standing in the middle of the room nervously, holding his hands together and trying to keep a normal smile on. He was already in his pajamas.

"What's up, Emelline?" He asked curiously. "Is everything okay?"

"Yup," I nodded. "I just wanted to... apologize for before."

"Huh?" Niku blinked, fiddling with his tail in his hands.

"I think I was a little mean before," I muttered, looking down. "I just suck with strangers, that's all... I didn't really mean what I said before."

Niku held his hands out and waved them in front of him. "Oh! It's no problem at all! I didn't think you were being mean..."

"I'm glad," I smiled. "So long as you're not a lazy bum!" I giggled.

Niku froze and looked at me for a second, then started laughing.

"What is it?" I asked. That had to be the first time I saw him laugh like that.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he bowed his head. "It's just, that's the first time I heard you laugh, is all! It..."

I stared at him as he said what I was thinking. So it went both ways. But tilting my head, I wondered what he was going to say. "Huh? It...?"

"Um... It just makes me happy, that's all," he said quietly with a smile and went over to the edge of the bed to sit as well, feeling more comfortable. "I was afraid that maybe you didn't like me before... because I'm different and all."

To my surprise, I felt myself blush. "What's not to like?" I asked without knowing what was coming over me. Before I knew it, I had gotten off the bed and went over to stand before him. "You are one of a kind, Niku," I said, leaning forward and stroking his furry cat-like ears.

Seriously, what was I doing? I was overdoing my kindness, but for some reason, I couldn't stop. There was a hot feeling in my chest urging me to go on. Maybe it had something to do with tonight's dinner? No... that wasn't it.

"I-I... thank you," Niku looked up at me with widening eyes as I leaned over to stroke his ears. "But so are you... Emelline," he stuttered, referring to me being a Hume and Elvaan hybrid.

I continued to stroke his ears, feeling my hand bringing itself over to his cheek. My body felt as though it had been put on automatic! Yet, I didn't do anything to stop it. "That's right. You're different... but I like that."

I could see his face was beet red and his eyelids had grown heavy with my stroking. He must like it. I think I might have heard a very slight purring coming from him as well...

"Eme... lline?" He muttered with a drowsy look on his face as I gently pushed my hand against his shoulder, causing him to lean back a bit.

"Because... I'm different too," I finished, moving some aquamarine strands of hair from my face as I leaned in and pressed my lips softly against his.

I didn't know if I was doing the right thing or not, but I didn't care anymore. It's not like I felt him moving away, either. I just couldn't help it. I've been thinking about him since I met him the other day. He's totally different from all the other guys.

I simply lost myself in the kiss...

***Eri's Perspective***

Gosh, it seems I have developed a crush on Niku... but should I tell Emmy about it?

I think it's much too early still... but I just can't help it! He's been on my mind since we met him.

So sweet, caring, and thoughtful... plus, he can cook! How many guys our age are out there who can cook like that?

What if I don't say something and soon somebody who knows him comes to take him away? After all, this is supposedly only until he can get back on his own two feet... _SUPPOSEDLY_. I think me and Emmy both agree that he could stay as long as he wants!

Or... or, what if another girl makes a move on him?

"Hnngh!" I groaned in frustration, burying my face into my pillow as I laid there in my sleeping garments. "What should I do?"

If I told Emmy, she'd think I was crazy...

But how cool would it be telling the girls I have a Mithran boyfriend?

Okay!

I've decided!

Tomorrow, I'll tell him how I feel. For now, I think I'll just want to give proper thanks for the yummy dinner! Maybe a goodnight hug?

Before I knew it, I was on my way down the hall hoping he wasn't already asleep so I didn't have to wake him just to say good night.

Huh. Strange, looks like he left his door a little open. Should I still knock?

***Niku's Perspective***

Was this really happening?

Was I kissing a girl for the very first time?

Not just any girl, either. I was kissing Emelline... the last person I imagined to kiss me. She was just so beautiful and talented that I couldn't imagine somebody like her wanting to kiss a person like me...

But... I thought they only liked me as a friend? Do I kiss her back? I shouldn't just sit here like this!

Oh, no. I think I heard something. Emelline might have heard it to, because she pulled back right away and turned towards the door. There was nothing there, though.

I could have sworn I heard a gasp. And maybe footsteps...

Nonetheless, I was still shocked at what had just happened. I could only sit there like a moron, looking down at the floor like the stupid shy person that I am.

Emelline had grown just as silent and shy as well, as if she just realized it herself that we had kissed.

"I'm..." she muttered, pulling back slowly and sliding her legs off the bed. "Niku, I didn't mean to... I don't know what..."

More silence.

Once again, I was stupid and couldn't say anything. But believe me when I say I tried to. I didn't want her to hate me or think I was weird... I... I liked it. I just wasn't expecting it...

Before I knew it, Emelline hurried out of the room with nothing but an apology and a "good night."

***Emelline's Perspective***

What did I just do? Why did I do it?

What was that feeling inside my chest that overwhelmed me like that?

I'm sorry Niku...

I hope he doesn't hate me for that...

Is Eri awake? I should talk to her... I need to tell her about it... or should I? Maybe it's best if I keep it to myself. But I have to talk to somebody! I feel so strange.

I knocked on the door of her room, but she didn't answer. She had her door locked. Weird. Eri doesn't normally lock her door.

I guess she just forgot when she was changing. Dammit.

What should I do?


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 - **

***Niku's Perspective***

**Time:** 10:42 P.M.

I have to admit, it took me a while to go to sleep that night... because I had been laying there on my bed touching my lips, replaying the kiss in my head that Emelline had suddenly given me without notice.

What if she was only trying to joke with me? Could it have been some sort of friendly kiss?

She did come in to apologize for not being as nice before... maybe she was just trying to prove it?

But... I thought only couples kissed like that? No! I'm silly. Of course she wouldn't want to be like that with me... I can only imagine the brave and confident guys she meets in her campaign operations.

Emelline... her lips were so warm. My skin is still tingling.

***Ecco's Perspective***

**Time:** 11:06 P.M.

"I see," Kaori narrowed her eyes as she smiled at me. "So you were sleeping over with your little friend Niku. I was beginning to wonder where my cute toy had gone. I grew quite lonely when I woke up, you know," she pouted at me while laying there on her bed in her revealing night garments.

"I had a nightmare and I couldn't go back to sleep in my room!" I defended myself, returning a fake pout in response. "And since your room was locked... I figured you'd be really cranky waking up so early in the morning for such a thing! So I decided, maybe Niku won't mind if I sleep with him," I said with a smirk.

"That Niku," Kaori sighed out in response. "Trying to steal my toy away from me... but lucky for you, I had Momo here with me to keep me company. Isn't that right?" She said, looking beside me over at her other "toy". Momo was sitting beside me on the floor where the big soft rug was, and where Kaori liked us to be in our underwear. Looking up at Kaori, Momo gave a cute little smile that showed off the tips of her fangs and nodded quickly.

You might have guessed by now, Momo was like me- a Demi-Hume. We weren't related or anything. Unlike me though, Momo never really talked and was really obedient, being the more cutesy of us two... but when she did speak, she kept it extremely brief. It was just her personality. She also had a full head of peach-pink hair that was pulled into a side swept pigtail, matching her pink eyes where her bangs fell and went well with her pale complexion. Other than that she looked the same age as me and Kaori- who only looked a little older because of her tall matured Elvaan form.

"Aw, it sounds like you two had fun..." I sighed. "I didn't think I'd oversleep! It was just so comfy over there, I forgot all about my nightmares, hehe."

"Don't worry, we discussed your punishment for being a disobedient boy," Kaori smiled, biting her lip as she crawled over to the edge of her bed and laid there looking down at us. Resting her chin on her arms, she giggled to herself and said, "Girl toy, make the boy toy pay..."

"Eh? Punishment?" I tilted my head curiously, scratching the side of my head. "Huh?"

Momo stood up on her knees and looked at me with a mischievous smile, pouncing on me and pinning me down on the rug with her petite form. She gave me a tiny peck on the cheek before sliding her half naked body down against mine.

"Oh no, this is hell," I said jokingly with a chuckle as her lips traced down my stomach. It wasn't long before I felt Momo's fangs slip under the strap of my undies which she used to slide them down with her.

Kaori grinned as she watched her toys play. The lust was simply twinkling in her eyes.

Feeling Momo's tongue doing unspeakable things with my middle, I leaned up against my elbows and looked down at her with a wide and devious smile. But not long after engulfing me down there in her mouth, I began to realize what my punishment was.

"Ow!" I snapped my head back against the rug, eyes growing wide. "Wait! Momo!" I laughed out in surprise and at the same time moaned in distress. "Not like that! Do it wider! It's too rough!"

Kaori licked her lips as she watched me writhe in painful pleasure. "Oh? You've no say in this, silly boy. See your punishment through like a man..."

"Ah!" The feeling of Sera's fangs going against me down there as she deliberately kept the gap between her teeth narrow made for a cruel punishment. And she wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

But who am I kidding... I was loving it!

***Emelline's Perspective***

**Time:** Watersday – 6:23 A.M.

"_What came over me last night...?"_ I thought to myself as I quickly got ready to leave for the campaign ops. "_I couldn't stop myself from kissing him. It's just... the way he was looking at me and telling me all that... I just don't know."_

Despite how early in the morning it was, Eri had already left... which was weird. Me and her always left together. I guess she had something important to do. Perfect. Now I'll have to wait even longer to talk to her about it...

Looking down the hall towards the closed guest door of Niku's room, I sighed. I know he's probably asleep, but... should I say something? Did he even like it?

There were way too many questions going through my head. If I woke him up now, I wouldn't know what to say. That, and I'd be running late...

Gah! I'm stupid. I shouldn't have done anything to begin with. It'd probably be better if we just forgot about it.

Yeah... I'll just pretend nothing happened.

Deciding on that, I picked up my things and left the house.

**Current Location:** East Ronfaure – Main Tower

**Time:** Watersday – 11:13 A.M.

The operations were moved to just outside of town today. Turns out some beasties were planning a raid on the city through the mountains... tch, amateurs. You can't just waltz right into the heart of the enemy and not expect to get obliterated. Every now and then you'll find a break in the exterior defenses, but that doesn't mean the interior won't be four times as heavily guarded.

Anyway, I digress. I hadn't been able to see Eri until now because of how busy it got trying to rally specific battalions to other towers in Ronfaure. What did they expect? This place was already packed with our forces since it was right outside of town.

Going into the Main Tower, I was surprised to find her with her work half done and her head laying against the table, fast asleep.

I almost couldn't believe it. The last person to fall asleep on the job was Eri... being as passionate as she was about her alchemy.

"Eri?" I blinked as I made my way over to her and sat on the chair across from her. She just grumbled in her sleep. "What's gotten into you? Sleeping on the job... don't tell me you stayed up late last night?"

Again, Eri could only grumbled in her sleep, moving her arm over to use as a head rest and accidentally knocking one of the vials off the side of the table.

"Watch it!" I gasped, reaching for it before it hit the ground but I was too late. It resulted in a micro-explosion that finally jump started Eri awake with a squeak.

I sighed with a grunt, narrowing my eyes at her. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead. Didn't have enough time to snooze last night or something?"

"E-Emmy! It's you," she uttered in a drowsy tone, picking her crooked glasses off her face and wiping her eyes. "How long was I out...?"

"No clue," I shrugged, setting her alchemy tools back in place. "I think it was a while though... you haven't done much today by the looks of it... lazy bum," I said jokingly. "So? Did you get some sleep or not?"

Eri just sat there giving me a blank stare and not replying. It was as if my words were just flying over her head. It was creeping me out!

"Uh... are you okay?" I asked, blinking at her and waving my hand in front of her eyes.

After a few more seconds, she finally jumped back into reality with a startle and opened her eyes fully. "Oh! Nothing... It's nothing. I'm fine," she replied with a smile. But I could still see blank traces in her big blue eyes as she contemplated putting her glasses back on.

I stood up and went to sit beside her, turning to face her and leaning forward with a stern look on my face.

"Wh... what?" She looked back at me with wide eyes.

"What's gotten into you? I know something is up. Spill it!" I demanded. Eri didn't normally hide things from me since she was the type of girl who enjoyed speaking her mind.

She just giggled nervously at me, looking forward again. "I just told you! Nothing's wrong. I'm just a little tired is all. I might have slept late! Maybe I didn't! What's it to ya'... punk!" She retorted in that playful manner of hers. That was the Eri I knew.

But still... I have a feeling she was just trying to avoid the subject. I was no good at these things. She could figure me out in a heartbeat, even without me saying anything.

Unfortunately, before I could keep prying or bring up the kiss I had with Niku, the main doors flew open and in came the officer in charge of this tower.

"ERI!" He yelled, causing his armor to rattle. "What in goddess' name are you doing in here that my men and women are out there with no medical and enhancing potions, suffering the pain of stray cuts and wounds without treatment!"

Eri had jumped at the sound of his yelling, rubbing her hands on her lap nervously. "I... I'll get to them! Just give me a few min-"

"My soldiers need those supplies NOW!" The man continued yelling, the veins on his forehead nearly popping. "It won't be long before the next wave comes blazing in here!"

Even though it was Eri's fault for sleeping on the job, I just couldn't handle this guy screaming at her like that. "Hey!" I snapped without thinking, but stood in attention once I realized I had snapped at the officer in charge. "Sir...! Eri was very busy yesterday, and didn't get enough sleep... but she always gets supplies in above schedule! I'll see to it that she-"

"This doesn't concern you, Valkyrie!" The officer scowled at me, pointing his finger angrily towards the door. "If my soldiers die out there, Eri's not held responsible! I am! I'm held responsible for not allowing them medical attention in time because the people I put in charge for that proved inferior! So you get yourself back in the front lines and do your job, as I will do mine!"

I nearly stammered in surprise as he directed his anger towards me. I lowered my eyes at the floor and clenched my fists. Honestly, there was nothing I could say to prove him otherwise. I just wanted him to stop yelling at her...

Eri looked at me with a forced smile. "It's okay, Emmy..."

I looked at her and reluctantly eased off. I couldn't help it. Since we were little, Eri hasn't been able to respond well to anger... and for good reasons, too. I saluted the officer in charge with a sleazy "Yes, sir," and made my way outside.

***Eri's Perspective***

The officer stormed over to the table and snatched up the stock of potions and reagents that Eri had finished, setting them into the coffer he had impatiently while shouting, "If I don't see the rest of our stock in ten minutes, goddess help me I'll run your raggedy ass out of here and see to it that we have a worthwhile replacement!"

I looked up at him in surprise. "Replacement?"

"That's right!" The officer shouted. "Like your job is so hard, alchemist! Just try making it out in the field with my soldiers! You just make it harder for them with your insolence!"

I bit down on my bottom lip as I was yelled at, lowering my gaze and clutching the end of my robe in my fingers. That loud and angry voice just brought back bitter memories. There was only so much that I could take before I suddenly answered, "... Fine!"

The officer froze, looking at me with surprised eyes. "What? What did you just say!"

"I said FINE!" I glared up at him, sliding the alchemy tools off the table and picking up my staff as I stood up. "San d'Oria's campaign operations just earned themselves another mage in their ranks! Just you watch! I'll do even better than your _soldiers."_

I didn't give him a second glance as I walked out. I had never really stood up to my superiors like that before... gosh, it felt great! I almost couldn't believe it myself. But I was done mixing silly potions and being under appreciated.

_Just you watch... I'll become more like Emmy! _

_Perhaps, if I was more like her... then maybe..._

**Title:** Battle Mage

***Niku's Perspective***

**Current location:** South San d'Oria – Lion Sprins Tavern

**Time:** 2:08 P.M.

I was sitting on one of the tables just outside the Lion Springs fiddling with a cleaning rag in my hands and staring at nothing in particular. As you might have guessed, I still had the previous night in mind...

I honestly tried to think nothing of it, and it helped having to service people earlier but... now that things had died down, I was left to my thoughts once again.

I had resolved to thinking about it so much, that perhaps it could lose its effect on me and stop making me feel so... jittery inside.

It didn't work...

Eventually, my mind would just continue the kiss in my head. I would only grow more and more jittery as in my mind, we'd lay back on the bed holding each other. She'd say my name and then lean in to kiss me and I'd do the same...

I always shook those thoughts away at that point, never letting it progress because I didn't want to disrespect Emelline by thinking of her like that...

"No, stop it Niku," I whispered to myself. "It's no use..."

Just then, as if to answer my prayers...

"**OY!**" Reizo's voice caused me to screech and stumble forward off of my seat.

I turned to look at him, wide-eyed as I usually did when he'd give me one of his daily scares. "R-Reizo?"

"Wus' good, little man!" He asked, waving his hands in a strange fashion in a way that made it look as though he was conducting what he said. He had gotten out of his work apron and was in his normal clothing.

"Oh... nothing, I sat down to think for a minute. I guess I lost track of time," I smiled helplessly. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Yo, dude, wus' time to jet thirty minutes befo'!" He replied, shifting his shoulders into a single wave and pointing his finger at the "Now Closed," sign on the door. "Too slo', cool cat! Get back in the flo'!"

"Eh! We closed thirty minutes ago!" My head shot up as I realized I had been sitting out here that long. "I need to pick up ingredients for today's dinner! I'm sorry Reizo, but I have to go. See you tomorrow!"

I was running towards Pikeman's Alley by the time Reizo could say anything else, but he said, "Yeh-yeh, mah boy takes care of his girls... bleh-bleh! Aight!"

I decided to stop at the auction house in Victory Square to see if I could find some ingredients that the merchants here didn't offer. It was really crowded, however... so I was forced to wait. If I went to get the other things now, I'd just lose my spot and end up in the back of the lines again.

"It's so crowded..." I muttered to myself as I stood on the tips of my shoes to look over.

I was so focused on looking for the auction window through the crowd that I didn't see a young girl that was following one of the lines of the stone floor's architecture with her arms out in her own world bump right into me from behind.

"WAH!" I was absolutely thrown across the floor at what should have only been a slight bump, not some tackle!

Looking up, I saw a pink haired girl standing there and blinking curiously, looking for whomever she had just bumped into.

"No!" I exclaimed as I quickly jumped onto my feet and reached for my spot in the crowded line. I lost it just as fast as I had been knocked down. "Oh... there goes my spot in the line," I sighed with a pout, turning to the girl with a friendly smile in case she thought I'd be angry about it. I decided I'd just go get the other ingredients first.

As the pink haired girl looked at me, she suddenly snapped up in surprise with a gasp, making me somewhat flinch as well, thinking something was wrong.

But she stood there looking at me with large pink and sparkling- perhaps even longing eyes and a wide smile over her flustered face as she made some kind of happy whining sounds. Was she happy to see me or something? But I don't think I've met her before...

"Uh...?" I blinked. "Sorry if I got in your way... are you okay?"

She didn't respond. The girl would only smile at me, leaning forward and pawing my ears with her hands like a cat before tugging on them gently. She giggled as she pointed at me almost happily, giving a little hop. "Nee-Ku!" She sounded out.

"Eh?" I looked at her in surprise, blushing a little bit as she grabbed my ears and sounded out my name. "D-Do I know you...?"

Without any warning, she suddenly grabbed my wrist and dragged me off with her without even trying. My feet were practically skidding across the floor. "W-Wait! Where are we going! Why won't you say anything!"

She only looked back at me with a rather cute smile, pointing towards a manor at the end of Pikeman's Alley.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

***Niku's Perspective***

"Where are you taking me?" I asked the pink haired girl who refused to speak and continued to drag me towards some manor house.

Just as before, she looked back at me with an innocent and playful smile, like a child who wanted to play something even though she appeared just about my age. She couldn't have been a mute, because I could hear her giggling...

"I'm sorry, I have to go!" I pleaded with her. It wouldn't be much longer before Emelline and Eri would return...

As we turned the corner leading towards the path to the front of the manor, the girl gave a mischievous smile- almost sinister as she suddenly pulled me incredibly hard and sent me stumbling up along the path, crashing right into an Elvaan girl who had just walked out of the house.

"Waaah! Forgive meee!" I wailed as it all happened so fast. The poor girl couldn't have been expecting to be attacked like that within seconds of leaving her home...

When we finally stopped tumbling, I found myself unintentionally looming over the purple haired girl as she laid there with a dumbfounded and shocked expression on her face.

Since we had tumbled over a stone path with her wearing a skirt and blouse, she ended up getting a few scrapes on her knee and shoulder.

Unsurprisingly, there was no sign of the evil pink haired girl anymore...

"I'M SO SORRY!" I gasped as I began to get up off of her and to reach into my satchel for some safety bandages I kept with me.

But before I could even push myself off of her, I felt her arms suddenly wrap around my waist tightly. She kept me pressed against her as she looked up at me and narrowed her eyes with a light smile. "You know, that really hurt... I think my knee might be bleeding."

"I... I know, I'm... sorry," I stuttered nervously as I looked back at her with reddening cheeks. Why was she holding me this way?

"That was very rude of you, you know... I thought Mithran folk were supposed to be more agile. I guess that only runs in the females," she said in a soft voice. Despite being a teenager, she seemed to possess more lady-like features over the other young Elvaan girls. "You know you're going to have to make it up to me... or else I'll scream and say that you attacked an innocent girl walking out of her home."

"I-I... what? But... I didn't mean it," I whimpered, scared that I might get in deep trouble for this. "There was a girl who- but she disappeared and- oh, no... please don't do that," I pleaded quietly, trying to keep my voice down. "I'll do anything... just please, let me bandage those scrapes for you..."

"Oh? Anything, you say?" She gave me a slight smile, raising a brow and giggling quietly. "Fine, I'll let you take care of my wounds... but not with bandages. You're a Mithra, aren't you? In that case, I think it'd be best if you were to lick my wounds better, so that they could heal faster..."

My eyes went wide as she brought up that suggestion. I was immediately reminded of the time I accidentally spilled hot tea over my chest and how Eri tried to lick it better like some Mithra do...

My face was absolutely beet red as I looked off to the side. "But... I can't do something... like that."

She tightened her arms around my waist and brought me closer, giving me a little pout. "Oh, too bad... so sad. Then, excuse me while I..."

She began taking in a deep breath, getting ready to scream.

"Wait! Please!" I shut my eyes as I stopped her just in time. "I... I'll do it."

She exhaled quietly and smiled. "That is very sweet of you..."

Gosh, she spoke as if she gave me a choice.

"Come on then, or the blood will dry," she said, taking my hand as we got up off the ground and led me back towards the front door of her manor.

I blinked as I followed reluctantly, looking up at the size of the residence. "We... we have to go in there?"

She giggled, shooting me a wink. "Well, unless you wanted to put on a show for everyone out here..."

My ears drooped as I lowered my gaze. "I... understand."

To my surprise, it was empty inside. There were no servants or family like I expected to be, unless they were out.

"Right over there," she said in an oddly sweet tone, pointing at a large and comfortable chair in the center of the common room. "Start with my knee first, then move on to my shoulder," she explained with another smile, plopping herself down comfortably, pulling her skirt back enough so that her knee was exposed. "Be gentle..."

I stood there by the door fiddling with the end of my tail, not having moved much since we walked in. I can't believe I was actually going to do something like this. But if I didn't... I'd be in big trouble, and everybody would think I'm some kind of dangerous pervert...

… I couldn't let Emelline think of me like that...

or Eri.

Looking up from the floor at her knee, I gulped and anxiously made my way over to the purple haired Elvaan girl.

Making sure all of the windows weren't open, I lowered myself to my knees and brought my face towards the scrapes on her knee. I wanted this to be over as soon as possible, but I had to be gentle... or I'd only make it worse.

So closing my eyes, I dubiously slipped a bit of my tongue out of my mouth and began to lick at her knee with small, slow strokes.

"Oh," she brought her hand to her cheek, looking half-away but keeping her eyes locked down on me shyly as she felt the warm and wet sensation taming the burn. "It feels better... but don't stop yet."

For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence and the sound of my tongue brushing against her knee scrape until she giggled shyly and pulled her knee away. "Good kitten... what a good technique you Mithran folk possess, hee-hee," she smiled, her face just as red as mine as she wiggled her shoulder out from underneath her blouse sleeve. "Do my shoulder next, kitten."

I was practically trembling with anxiety at what was going on right now. It felt like any second now I was going to pass out. I could feel my forehead glistening with sweat.

I just need to do her shoulder next, and then I can go...

Nodding silently, I pushed myself up off the floor inhaling and exhaling as I prepared myself to lick there. This had to be more intimate than the knee licking, being right on the shoulder and everything...

She continued to smile at me with those narrow and lustful eyes, bringing her fingernail to her lips as she watched me bring my tongue out once more to take care of the scrapes on her shoulder.

"Mn..." I uttered in embarassment as I licked her, turning my gaze away and wishing I could just turn my whole red face away.

"Ah, there... it's so good," she sighed out, "I can feel the pain fading away."

I kept getting vivid images of Emelline leaning forward to kiss me like she had the night before while this happened...

I don't know why, but I just felt so... dirty. And guilty.

Finally pulling her shoulder away, the girl fixed her blouse sleeve back on over her shoulder and licked her lips. "There is one final spot you need to take care of before you're good to go," she started as she waved her finger at the door towards herself, seemingly motioning to someone else.

When I turned to look in surprise, I saw that it was that pink haired girl from before. Had she been standing there watching this whole time?

"Momo? Will you come over here for a second?" The Elvaan girl called her.

"What...?" I asked nervously as the other girl nodded, giving a cheerful smile and hopping along towards the other, tugging my tail playfully along the way.

Taking the pink haired girl known as Momo by the collar, the Elvaan girl licked her own lips and giggled. "Will you give me a bittersweet kiss, Momo?"

Momo smiled excitedly and nodded, hugging the other girl and nuzzling her as if they were lovers of some sort. Not only that, but right after, Momo pressed her lips against the other girl and locked each other into a deep kiss.

I could only stand there wide-eyed, face flustering upon seeing two girls kiss like that and one of them- Momo, biting into her friend's lower lip gently with what appeared to be fangs.

Wincing slightly as they sunk in, the Elvaan girl gave a tiny moan into the kiss before pulling back and running her fingers through Momo's pink hair. "Thank you... now then, Niku," she called my name as she looked at me with droplets of blood on her lips, "Come clean my lips."

Her lips!

"B-But... you said...!" I began to protest, not long before I felt Momo's arms around my waist and her chest up against my back. How could she get behind me so fast without me even noticing!

As she laid her chin over my shoulder, the pink haired girl smiled happily and giggled. She walked against me, forcing me to go forward towards the Elvaan girl.

"No... I can't," I whispered, shaking my head. "I can't do that...! I won't do that!"

I yelled, somehow catching them by surprise as I felt Momo's arms give away. Taking that chance, I bolted straight for the door and fled.

And I kept running without stopping, even after I was out of the district that the manor resided in. Even after I was sure that nobody was following me.

As I made it past the Auction House, I could see Emelline there waiting in line, probably having just arrived from her campaign operations and selling some junk.

I don't know if it was because my mind was racing so much or not, but as I ran up to the unsuspecting Emelline, I threw my arms around her.

As she stared at me in disbelief, she had naught even a second to call my name before I pressed my lips against hers and kissed her.

I was lost at that moment. All the guilt and the strange feelings I was just having all began to wash away...

She pulled back blushing and in confusion, attempting to speak once more, "Nik-!-Mmph!"

Another...

I couldn't help it. Emelline...


End file.
